In recognition of his stand against President Trump’s attempts to stay in office beyond his defeat in the 2020 election, former Vice President Mike Pence will be presented with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday.
The announcement was made last month by the JFK Library Foundation, which acknowledged Pence “for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021” as the reason for the honor. At Boston’s JFK Library, Pence will be presented with the honor.
When the Republican president made baseless claims about vote fraud in swing states, he pushed Vice President Pence to reject the findings. Pence declined, claiming that he did not have the power to do so. Some Trump fans screamed “hang Mike Pence” as they stormed the Capitol. After Pence narrowly avoided a confrontation with the protestors, operatives from the Secret Service hustled him away.
Even though Pence was hiding inside the Capitol with his family, aides, and security detail, Trump wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify.” The rioters were passing through the building at the time.
Despite the Secret Service’s warning that he should vacate the premises, Pence remained to carry out the post-riot ceremonial certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s triumph as president.
Presented annually to public servants who risk personal or political peril by standing firm on their principles, the Profile in Courage Award is named after a 1957 book written by John F. Kennedy before he became president. Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush, and Gerald Ford are among the previous honorees.
In America, political bravery is still relevant. The statement was made by Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg, who are JFK’s daughter and grandson, respectively, and who will deliver the medal to Pence. They claimed that leaders at all levels of government are putting the country first and are not backing down. “President Kennedy’s conviction that a courageous political action can alter the trajectory of history is exemplified by his decision.”
The prize has left Pence feeling “deeply humbled and honored,” according to his statement.
The life and words of President John F. Kennedy have been an inspiration to me since I was a young man, and I am pleased to be among the many other notable Americans who have been recognized with this award, Pence stated.
Among Republicans, Pence stands out as someone eager to challenge Trump’s government.
His PAC, Advancing American Freedom, opposed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy to head the federal health agencies. Following Trump’s assertion that “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” he published an essay he wrote over a decade ago and gave speeches asking the president to stick with old foreign friends.
