Former Vice President Mike Pence has disclosed a poignant moment from the funeral of his predecessor, Dick Cheney, where Cheney offered his final, terse approval for Pence's decision to certify the 2020 presidential election results on January 6, 2021.
A Final Word of Approval
Speaking to MS NOW on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral, Pence recounted the brief but significant exchange. "When it came to Vice President Cheney, we were here for a funeral not long ago, and he leaned over next to me and just said to me in his usual terse manner, said: 'You did the right thing,'" Pence stated. The former vice president said he responded by telling Cheney, "I will always cherish that."
A Political Rift and a Snub
This anecdote carries considerable weight given the complex political backdrop. Cheney, who passed away earlier this month, had initially endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. However, his stance shifted dramatically after the January 6 insurrection. He became one of Trump's most vocal Republican critics and, in a significant 2024 announcement, stated he would vote for Kamala Harris, labeling Trump a "threat to our republic."
This evolving position was further emphasized by the guest list for Cheney's funeral. Neither former President Donald Trump nor his current vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, received an invitation. Meanwhile, Pence publicly honored Cheney as a "man of principle" and a champion of the conservative agenda, whose contributions to the nation would be long remembered.
A Stark Contrast in Rhetoric
Pence's reflection on Cheney's solidarity arrived on the same day that Donald Trump escalated his own political language. On his Truth Social platform, Trump reposted a message that read, "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!" targeting Democratic lawmakers.
In a subsequent post written himself, Trump declared, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!" He followed this with another statement, calling the lawmakers "traitors to our Country" who should be arrested and put on trial, asserting that "an example MUST BE SET." This creates a stark contrast between the post-presidential conduct of the two former Republican vice presidents and the man they once served.
