Pence writes he was ‘angry’ but not ‘afraid’ during Jan 6 riot

Pence says rioters ‘dishonored the patriotism of millions of our supporters, who would never do such a thing here or anywhere else’

Mike Pence writes in his new memoir that on January 6 2021, “I was not afraid, but I was angry”.

The then-vice president’s book So Help Me God will be released on 15 November.

During the Capitol riot, Mr Pence was presiding over the joint session of Congress certifying President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election as Trump supporters laid siege to Congress, with some chanting “hang Mike Pence” in response to his refusal to attempt to overturn the results in President Donald Trump’s favour.

“I was angry at what I saw, how it desecrated the seat of our democracy and dishonored the patriotism of millions of our supporters, who would never do such a thing here or anywhere else,” Mr Pence writes on the back cover of the book, Axios reported.

Large sections of the memoir are dedicated to Mr Pence’s religious beliefs with the last few chapters covering the insurrection.

The book covers his policy work on abortion, tax cuts, cutting regulations and national security, such as Israel and Iran.

Publisher Simon and Schuster states on its site that the book focuses “on his faith and his public service”.

“In So Help Me God, Pence recounts his journey from his youth in Columbus, Indiana, to the vice presidency of the United States,” the site states. “This is the inside story of the Trump Administration from its second-highest ranking official and of a profound faith that has guided Pence throughout his life. The most robust defense of the Trump record of anyone who served in the administration, So Help Me God also chronicles President Trump’s severing of their relationship on January 6, 2021, when Pence kept his oath to the Constitution.”

As he prepares for a possible run for the presidency in 2024, Mr Pence has been visiting early primary states and he’s spoken out on the conservative win on the Supreme Court, claiming that “life won” when Roe v Wade was overturned.

“Today, Life Won. By overturning Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life, and I commend the justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions,” he said in a statement on 24 June. “By returning the question of abortion to the states and to the people, this Supreme Court has righted an historic wrong and reaffirmed the right of the American people to govern themselves at the state level in a manner consistent with their values and aspirations.”