Trump to Pence on Jan. 6: Certifying Is a 'Career Killer'

The New York Times is reporting on a previously undisclosed warning that then-President Trump delivered to Mike Pence the morning of the Capitol violence:

• "Mike, this is a political career killer if you do this," Trump told his vice president in a phone call on Jan. 6, 2021, referring to Pence's task of certifying the 2020 election results later that day.
• The quote was recollected by Trump's valet, who spoke to the House panel that investigated the day's violence in 2022. It hasn't been reported before.
• The valet also said that after Trump was informed that a civilian had been shot, "there was, like, no reaction." On another point, he did not recall hearing Trump use a vulgarity to describe Pence as a coward that day, as others have suggested.

The story emerges days after Pence said he would not endorse Trump for president this year. In response, Trump said he "couldn't care less," per Axios. "Our country is going down hill very fast," said the former president. "We need strong people in this country, we don't need weak people." (More Mike Pence stories.)