As lawmakers returned the evening of Jan. 6 to certify the election following the attack, then-Vice President Mike Pence tweeted his thanks last year to the law enforcement officers who kept him safe, showing how he was rushed to a Capitol Hill parking garage during the attack.
In the subsequent weeks, video played at Trump’s second impeachment trial revealed just how close the rioters came — some within 100 feet of Pence and his family, who were forced to take shelter in the Capitol.
In an interview with Trump for his book “Betrayal,” ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Trump at Mar-a-Lago last March if he was worried about the safety of his vice president.
“No, I thought he was well-protected,” Trump said. “And I had heard that he was in good shape.”
When asked directly about the “’Hang Mike Pence’” chants on tape, Trump said, “Well, the people were very angry. Because it’s — it’s common sense, Jon, it’s common sense, that you’re supposed to protect — How can you, if you know a vote is fraudulent, right — how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?”
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claims that he won the election over Biden, despite dozens of failed court battles last year.
