- Vice President Mike Pence reportedly told President Donald Trump that he did not have the power to change election results, the New York Times reported, contradicting the false claim made by the president in a Tuesday tweet.
- Pence is expected to chair the session of Congress that will certify the results of the 2020 elections on Wednesday.
- The vice president has no power to override election results; his role in presiding over the Congress session is purely ceremonial.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Vice President Mike Pence said he told President Donald Trump that he did not have the power to block Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The vice president reportedly informed the president of his lack of authority to block voter certification over lunch, people familiar with the conversation told The Times.
News of the exchange comes after Trump falsely claimed that Pence had the power to do so in a Tuesday tweet.
“The vice president has the power to reject fraudulently chosen voters,” wrote the president. The vice president does not have the power to overturn the election results, and his role in chairing the Congressional session is purely ceremonial.
Pence is expected to chair the Congressional session to certify the results of the 2020 elections on Wednesday. If at least one senator and a deputy from each state object to the certification of the state’s results, there will be a debate of up to two hours, and each chamber will have a separate vote to certify the results or not.
“About a dozen senators and 140 House Republicans have indicated that they will oppose the certification of votes from the Electoral College,” reported Kelsey Vlamis of the Insider.
Both the Senate and the House must vote to override the election results in each state, which is unlikely to happen with Republicans holding a majority in the Senate and Democrats in the House.
Read More: Trump’s sad implosion is a good sign for Biden’s agenda
According to a statement over the weekend by the vice president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, the vice president “welcomes” the efforts of Republican lawmakers who contest the election results.
“Vice President Pence shares the concerns of millions of Americans about election fraud and irregularities in the last election,” Short said in a statement to The Washington Post. “The vice president appreciates the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use their authority under the law to raise objections and present evidence to Congress and the American people on January 6.”
Trump has yet to grant the election and continues to make unfounded allegations of electoral fraud.
On a email to campaign supporters, Trump denied the conversation took place and said he and Pence were aligned.
“The New York Times report on the comments that Vice President Pence allegedly made to me today is false news. He never said that,” Trump said in the email. “The vice president and I fully agree that the vice president has the power to act.” (Pence does not have that power.)
The vice president’s representatives did not immediately respond to the Business Insider’s request for comment.