Former Vice President Mike Pence has revealed new details about a private conversation with President Donald Trump during the final days of their first administration together.
During an appearance at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Pence described a tense but personal exchange that occurred shortly after January 6, 2021 — a date that ultimately became a major turning point in the relationship between the two Republican leaders.
According to Pence, Trump was visibly discouraged when the two met in a dining room located just off the Oval Office.
As Pence prepared to leave, he told Trump that he was praying for him.
Trump responded with two words, Pence recalled:
“Don’t bother.”
Pence Says He Refused to Stop Praying for Trump
Pence said he immediately responded by acknowledging the two major areas where the men remained divided.
“I get the impression we’re never going to agree on my duties on Jan. 6, and I’m never going to stop praying for you,” Pence recalled telling Trump.
Pence said he has kept that promise.
The former vice president’s account provides another look inside the complicated final days of the Trump-Pence partnership, which had once been one of the most important political alliances in Washington.
For four years, Pence served as one of Trump’s most visible defenders and representatives. But their relationship changed dramatically following their disagreement over the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
January 6 Became the Breaking Point
At the center of the dispute was Pence’s role as vice president during the congressional counting of Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021.
Trump publicly urged Pence to intervene in the process.
Pence maintained that the Constitution did not give him the authority to reject electoral votes on his own.
Congress later certified Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Official National Archives records show Biden received 306 electoral votes compared with Trump’s 232.
Looking back on that moment, Pence said he remains confident that he carried out his constitutional responsibility.
Pence said the choice was the clearest one he had ever faced, adding that, with God’s help, he believed he fulfilled his responsibility that day.
The disagreement marked a dramatic change for two men who had spent four years campaigning together, governing together and representing the Republican Party from the White House.
Trump and Pence Took Different Political Paths
After leaving office, Trump and Pence increasingly moved in different political directions.
Pence eventually entered the 2024 Republican presidential primary, putting him in direct competition with his former running mate.
His campaign struggled to build enough financial and polling support, and Pence ultimately ended his presidential bid.
Trump went on to return to the White House.
Despite the political split, Pence said the two men have spoken a few times since leaving office together in January 2021.
His latest comments suggest that while their political disagreement remains unresolved, communication between them has not disappeared completely.
Pence Says 2028 Campaign Is Not in His Plans
Pence also addressed questions about his own political future during the Washington event.
The former vice president said he currently has “no plans” to seek the presidency or another elected office in 2028.
Instead, Pence said he is concentrating on his family and his work through Advancing American Freedom, the conservative organization he founded after leaving office.
The group focuses on issues including limited government, constitutional principles and free-market economic policies.
Pence’s remarks suggest that his immediate priorities are centered more on conservative policy advocacy than another campaign for public office.
A Political Partnership That Changed After January 6
The latest story from Pence highlights how dramatically one of the Republican Party’s most important political partnerships changed following the 2020 election.
Trump and Pence entered the White House together in 2017 and spent four years presenting a largely united public front.
But their disagreement over January 6 created a divide that has continued for years.
Pence has repeatedly defended his actions that day, while Trump has repeatedly criticized his former vice president’s decision.
Now, years later, Pence is sharing another personal detail from that period — including Trump’s striking two-word response when Pence told him he was praying for him.
“Don’t bother.”
Pence says he did anyway.