Former Vice President Mike Pence received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday, calling January 6, 2021, a “triumph of freedom” for the way Congress returned to certify the 2020 election after the Capitol was attacked. “Our institutions held that day,” Pence said in Boston, praising leaders in both parties for upholding the Constitution.
Pence defied intense pressure from then-President Trump to overturn the election and later presided over the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. While accepting the award, Pence noted differences with Trump on tariffs, Ukraine, and foreign policy but did not comment on Trump's recent pardons of Capitol rioters.
Pence, who briefly challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination, said he felt “profoundly unworthy” of the award but honored the Capitol Police and aides who stood by him.
