Former President Donald Trump pushed back against former Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks that he “endangered” his life during the CNN Republican Presidential town hall Wednesday.
Pence has repeatedly accused Trump of “endangering” himself and his family on the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Some rioters present chanted to “hang Mike Pence” in front of the Capitol as the then-vice president was led into hiding with other lawmakers present.
Collins, a former Daily Caller reporter, asked the former president if he owes Pence an apology.
“I don’t think he was in any danger,” Trump said.
“Do you feel that you owe him an apology?” Collins asked.
“No, because he did something wrong. He should’ve put the votes back to the state legislatures and I think we would’ve had a different outcome. I really do,” Trump said.
Collins said that Pence does not have the authority to overturn the election results. Only Congress, not the vice president, is granted the power to object to state electors’ votes under the Electoral Count Act of 1887. (RELATED: Trump To Participate In Upcoming CNN Town Hall In New Hampshire)
“Let’s keep it interesting, right?” the former president pushed back. “I like Mike Pence very much, he’s a very fine man, he’s a very nice man. He made a mistake. His lawyers said ‘you cannot move.’ I called them the human conveyor belt. I said, ‘even if the votes are absolutely fraudulent, he can’t send them back.’ And the Democrats played it and the RINOs played it.”
He claimed Pence’s lawyers were “wrong,” and said they met the RINOs and Democrats to make sure that future vice presidents could not overturn the elections.
“That’s not what happened,” Collins said. “You’re referring to the Electoral Count Act, I’ve read that. There is no authority, legal experts, including Republican legal experts say that he does not have that authority.”
“Kaitlan, why did they change the law then saying that you can’t do it?” Trump asked.
“They didn’t change the law, they strengthened the law because they were worried about presidents exploiting—” she began.
“Oh they strengthened it, meaning you could do it,” the former president said. “Thank you.”
“That’s not what it means,” Collins said.
Trump also said Wisconsin election officials said that the election was “rigged,” which Collins pushed back on by saying they had never made those claims.