- Marc Short said Trump and Pence “left amicably” from the White House last month.
- Although Trump is scheduled to speak at CPAC this week, Pence reportedly declined to attend.
- “The president told the vice president that he did a great job for him,” said Short.
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Marc Short, who served as chief of staff to former vice president Mike Pence, said on Saturday that “despite their differences” former vice president and former president Donald Trump “departed amicably” from the White House last month and, since then, talked to each other.
Although Trump is scheduled to speak at the important Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Florida this week, Pence reportedly declined to attend this year, according to Politico.
According to a CNN report, organizers hope Pence will change his mind and attend the conference, while a source told the network that the former vice president intends to keep a low profile for the next 6 months.
While Pence attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden last month and interacted with his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump left for his Florida Mar-a-Lago club and skipped the ceremony.
Trump, who spent months disputing the validity of the election and sought to take votes in several states, pressured Pence to reject the results of the Electoral College during the January 6 certification process.
In a letter to Congress, Pence said he could not release the results unilaterally.
Before the riot started on Capitol Hill, Trump spoke to a crowd gathering not far from the White House.
“Mike Pence is going to have to come by,” said Trump. “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 place in the Capitol building, according to NBC News.
When CNN’s Pamela Brown asked Short about how Pence handled Trump’s election-related criticism, especially during the hostile situation on Capitol Hill, he expressed that the former vice president was focused on more pertinent issues.
“The vice president was in a safe place on the phone with [GOP House] leader McCarthy, [GOP Senate] McConnell leader, speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, and [Democratic Senate] the leader Schumer trying to figure out how we can get back to work as quickly as possible, “he said.” His focus was really on how quickly we can get back to the work of the American people and not allow those who perpetrated those crimes to be victorious that day. “
Short minimized any tension between the two men.
“The reality is that the president and the vice president met,” he said. “They talked several times before leaving. They left amicably. The president told the vice president that he did a great job for him. They’ve talked since then.”
He added: “Clearly, there were differences about the role of the vice president on January 6, but I think, at that time, the vice president was focused on doing his job and staying in his post until it was completed.”