- Marc Short said Trump and Pence “left the White House amicably” last month.
- While Trump was scheduled to speak at CPAC this week, Pence reportedly declined to attend.
- “The president told the vice president that he has done a great job for him,” said Short.
- Visit Insider’s Business section for more stories.
Marc Short, who served as Chief of Staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, said on Saturday that “despite their differences,” the former Vice President and former President Donald Trump “left the White House amicably” last month and have since spoken. Others.
While Trump is about to speak at the high-profile Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Florida this week, Pence has reportedly declined to attend this year, according to Politico
Organizers hope Pence will change his mind and attend the conference, according to a CNN report, while a source told the network that the former vice president is aiming to remain unobtrusive for the next six months.
While Pence attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration last month and was in touch with his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump left for his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and skipped the ceremony.
Trump, who spent months contesting the validity of the election and trying to throw out votes in several states, pressured Pence to reject the Electoral College’s results during the Jan. 6 certification process.
In a letter to Congress, Pence claimed he could not unilaterally discard the results.
Before the Capitol uprising began, Trump spoke to a crowd gathered not far from the White House.
“Mike Pence will have to come for us,” Trump said. “And if he doesn’t, it will be a sad day for our country.”
Trump reportedly did not speak to Pence for several days after the riot, where Pence and his family had to be moved to a safe location in the Capitol, according to NBC News.
When CNN’s Pamela Brown asked Short how Pence handled Trump’s election-related criticism, especially during the hostile situation in the Capitol, he said the former vice president was focused on more pertinent issues.
The vice president was on the phone in a safe location [GOP House] leader McCarthy, [GOP Senate] leader McConnell, speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and [Democratic Senate] leader Schumer is trying to figure out how to get back to work as soon as possible, “he said.” His focus was really on how quickly we can get back to finishing the work of the American people and not allow those who committed those crimes to triumph on that day. “
Short played down any tension between the two men.
“The reality is that the president and vice president have met,” he said. ‘They talked to each other several times before leaving. They left amicably. The president has told the vice president that he has done a great job for him. They have spoken since then. ‘
He added, “Obviously there were differences as to what the role of the Vice President was on January 6, but I think the Vice President at the time was focused on doing his job and will remain in his post until it is completed. used to be.”