Trump adviser struggles to defend suggestion that Pence could overturn election — but not Harris
During the latest episode of MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber, Melber grilled former Donald Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller over the MAGA ally's belief that the US vice president has the power to overturn the election if necessary.
Melber played video clips of Republicans — from former staffer Peter Navarro to the the ex-president himself — arguing that if Pence had done "the right thing" on January 6, 2021, then President Joe Biden would have never won the 2020 election.
"You sat with the January 6 committee," Melber said to Miller, who's also Trump's former head speechwriter. "They wrote that on that morning of January 6th, the president spoke with you — Stephen Miller — about what he would say hours later. At 11:30 a.m., Stephen Miller's assistant emailed the speechwriting team. The final written draft had following Pence reference: 'And we will see whether Pence enters history as a truly great and courageous leader.'" The MSNBC host then asked Miller, "So your position then was arguing that the call was ultimately up to Pence, is that right?"
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Miller replied, "By definition that's true, because that's why Congress came back and revised the law to make the vice president's role ceremonial rather than official, which it was in the original version...All this nonsense, the lies, all the hoaxing about this — January 6th — and days leading up to it, was a legal process to raise objections to Congress. And if those objections they were validated, [Congress] would then send back to the states the opportunity to ratify that."
Melber then asked, "So, If you thought the vice president has that role and that's legal and that stems from the constitution, then I guess you must be fine with Vice President Harris making the call this January?"
The Trump ally replied, "There's not just the vice president. Congress itself has to vote on and ratify these propositions as well, too. So there's role for congress, the house, the Senate."
"But you're good with Vice President Harris doing it this time?" Melber asked. "So you do feel that if Pence is the vice president it's fine. If Harris is vice president it's not. That's what you're saying?"
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"Ari, they rewrote the law," Miller said. "Look, I care about my democracy every bit as much, if not more, than you do," he shot back at Melber.
The MSNBC host replied, "I'm just trying to get answers from you. We're not in a personal dispute about democracy credentials."
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