Pence says he’s spoken to Trump ‘about a dozen times’ since inauguration

Former Vice President Mike Pence said on a conservative podcast Thursday that he has spoken to former President Trump “about a dozen times” since President Biden was sworn into office in January.

“We’ve spoken probably about a dozen times since the inauguration,” Pence said on an episode of the “Ruthless” podcast. 

Great joining the progrum LIVE from @AmericanFreedom’s HQ!

Check out my episode of @RuthlessPodcast with @ComfortablySmug, @HolmesJosh, and @MichaelDuncan:https://t.co/0dYdFYgyYt

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) September 30, 2021

Pence was at center of Trump’s ire after the former Indiana congressman and governor was repeatedly called upon by the then-president to block the results of the counting of votes in the 2020 election in Congress on Jan. 6.

During the counting of Electoral College votes that would affirm Biden’s win, a pro-Trump mob overran the Capitol, leading to an abrupt gaveling out of the chambers and leaving Pence and a number of lawmakers scrambling for safety.

At one point, pro-Trump rioters chanted “hang Mike Pence” as they went through the Capitol searching for the former vice president, believing that he was single-handedly refusing to overturn Trump’s loss in the election.

Pence has maintained that he was proud of the role he served that day and said that he did not have the constitutional authority to reject or return electoral votes that had been certified by the states.

“Obviously, it was a difficult day in January,” Pence noted on the show. “It was a dark day at our Capitol building. We’ve moved past it. We finished the work, and I can tell you honestly my focus is entirely on the future, and I believe that future is bright.” 

Pence’s remarks come as the former vice president is reportedly making efforts to raise funds for a possible 2024 presidential bid.

In April, Pence launched a nonprofit group called Advancing American Freedom which reportedly asked donors at a retreat in Wyoming to help it reach its fundraising goal of $18 million.

Bob Woodward and Robert Costa’s new book “Peril” also reported that an attorney who worked with Trump had outlined a six-step plan for how the then-vice president could overturn the results.