At the recent Gridiron Dinner, Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States, issued a strongly worded criticism of former President Donald Trump for his role in the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021. Pence, who had refused to comply with Trump's pressure to interfere with the certification of the 2020 election results, further refused a subpoena from the Biden DOJ's special counsel Jack Smith to testify in the federal probe of Trump for his involvement in the insurrection and his attempts to overturn the election. Pence remarked that the American people have a right to know what occurred in the Capitol on January 6th and that it was a disgrace to portray it in any other way.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who had voted for certification, stated that Pence was right to criticize Trump and that "history will judge everyone" by what they did on that day. McCaul further pushed back against Speaker Kevin McCarthy's attempts to whitewash the Capitol breach, remarking that the event was not a "tourism" experience but, in fact, a "very dark, tragic day" that he witnessed first-hand.
Pence's speech at the Gridiron Dinner further fuelled speculation that he might be considering a White House campaign in 2024. His presence at the dinner, which was filled with notable attendees such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Dr. Anthony Fauci demonstrated that Pence is still an influential political figure and one to be taken seriously.