Pence has no such power, and his role overseeing the counting of electoral votes is largely ceremonial. Still, in the weeks before Congress met, Trump publicly and privately urged Pence to step in and block the process.
At a rally in Washington, DC, on January 6, shortly before Congress convened, the president called on thousands of his supporters to march to the Capitol and stop the peaceful transfer of power.
“You’ll never take back our country with weakness,” he told his fanatics. “You have to show strength, and you have to be strong.”
“We’re going to have to fight much harder,” he said before unleashing the mob.
What happened next resembled a scene from a dystopian novel.
Pro-Trump insurrectionists converged on the US Capitol as lawmakers debated election challenges in the House and Senate chambers. The frenzied crowd clashed with law enforcement and eventually breached barriers set up around the Capitol as overwhelmed police officers rushed to clear the building.
Capitol Police interrupted Congress’ proceedings and frantically evacuated Pence and senior lawmakers as Trump supporters swarmed in, ransacked offices, and stole property, including records that the Justice Department said may have contained “national security equities.”