Mike Pence watched his replacement, J.D. Vance, take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol on Monday, Jan. 20, eight years after standing in the same position.
Pence, who served as the vice president during Donald Trump’s first term, attended the swearing-in ceremony without his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, watching a new right-hand man assume his former office.
Pence fell from Trump’s good graces near the end of his first term in office. Following his loss in the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden, Trump did not concede and denied the election results — which, as vice president and the president of the Senate, was Pence’s duty to certify.
Against Trump’s wishes, Pence refused to overturn the results on Jan. 6, 2021, stating that he didn’t have the authority to so. Following a rally in Washington, D.C. that day — which included chants of “hang Mike Pence” — the deadly Capitol riot commenced in an attempt to forcibly stop the certification of the election.
There remains no evidence that the 2020 election was fraudulent or “stolen.” Pence later attended Biden’s inauguration — which is customary for outgoing and former presidents and vice presidents — while Trump skipped the event.
Already alienated from his former ally, Pence announced his campaign for president in 2023. He challenged Trump for the Republican nomination but was unsuccessful.
Trump and Pence had their first interaction in four years at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Jan. 9, which was uneventful and polite, Pence shared.
Vance was named Trump’s running mate on July 15, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. Before seeking the role of vice president, Vance was a senator from Ohio in his first term.
Prior to becoming Trump’s running mate, Vance made strong comments against Trump — calling the president “America’s Hitler” and an “idiot,” and calling himself a “never-Trump guy.”
