In a chilling revelation, a former Situation Room officer, Mike Stiegler, has disclosed that former Vice President Mike Pence was alarmingly close to being killed during the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.
Stiegler, who was part of the team managing the crisis, shared with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that discussions about invoking the 25th Amendment and contingency plans were underway as the situation spiraled out of control.
The officer’s account underscores the gravity of the threat Pence faced for refusing to overturn the 2020 election results and the Secret Service‘s swift action in evacuating him to an underground loading dock.
Pence’s Life Was in Jeopardy on Jan. 6, Ex-White House Official Confirms
Stiegler’s testimony contradicts Senator JD Vance’s recent downplaying of the danger Pence was in, with Vance suggesting that politics often exaggerates threats.
However, Stiegler’s firsthand account and the Secret Service’s actions that day paint a stark picture of the risks Pence faced. The former vice president has since distanced himself from his former boss, Donald Trump, citing profound differences on issues like abortion and TikTok.
Pence has declared that he cannot endorse Trump in good conscience, given their diverging agendas. As the January 6 riot’s anniversary passes, Stiegler’s words serve as a poignant reminder of the fragility of democracy and the importance of acknowledging the severity of that fateful day.
