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Vice President Mike Pence considered skipping the congressional count of the 2020 Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021, worrying that his attendance would be “too hurtful” to former President Donald Trump. Pence, 64, disclosed his eleventh-hour concerns about presiding over the peaceful transfer of power during a deposition taken by prosecutors in special counsel Jack Smith’s office earlier this year, ABC News reported. Sources familiar with Smith’s investigation spoke with the outlet about Pence’s recollection of the former president’s pressure to decertify the electoral count.

Former President Donald Trump is considering skipping at least some of the 2024 Republican primary debates, the New York Times reported, citing five people who have discussed the matter with Trump. Last month, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the first two debates of the GOP presidential primary season. First will be a Fox News-hosted debate in August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, followed by a second debate in Southern California at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is billing herself as the person who can forge a national consensus on abortion, citing her experience creating a consensus around another highly contentious debate during her tenure as governor of South Carolina.Haley, who formerly served as governor of South Carolina and United States Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, gave a speech on abortion before a crowd of pro-life activists at the headquarters of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America on Tuesday. In her speech, Haley expressed a desire to “start a constructive conversation about where we go from...

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will take President Trump's place at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner. Why it matters: Trump would have had to share the stage with the journalists receiving awards including ones from what he's called on Twitter the "failing" New York Times, and "Fake News" CNN. "The White House has informed us that the president does not plan to participate in this year's dinner but that he will actively encourage members of the executive branch to attend and join us as we celebrate the First Amendment. In keeping with tradition, Press Secretary Sarah...

Speaking on Good Morning America and Morning Joe this morning, Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski hinted that other candidates were thinking of dropping out of the upcoming Fox News debate after Trump decided to bail. He asserted that anchor Megyn Kelly was "obsessed" with his boss, which was one reason why Trump decided not to participate. "Megyn Kelly is totally obsessed with Mr. Trump," Lewandowski said on Good Morning America. "She's done multiple shows on why he shouldn't be even involved in the race on television. She's completely obsessed with him. It's impossible to have a fair and honest...

The China charm offensive continues.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is skipping an annual rite of passage for Washington's movers and shakers: the exclusive Alfalfa Club dinner on Saturday night. Obama attended last year's affair, held less than two weeks after he was sworn in to office. The White House did not explain the president's decision not to attend this year.

President Bush on Sunday defended his decision to attend the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in China, saying he does not “need the Olympics” to express his concerns regarding the country’s human rights record. While some world leaders have stated that they would skip the ceremony to highlight a Chinese crackdown in Tibet, Bush argues that he does not need to take such a step to address the issue. “I had the honor of dealing with the Chinese -- two Chinese presidents during my term, and every time I have visited with them I have talked about religious freedom...

Thousands of Tucson-area students walked have out of school to show their support for illegal immigration over the last week. Now, some teenagers at the school where the Southern Arizona walkouts began are vocally coming forward to say they're against students skipping school just to make a political point.

Why I'm skipping the Oscars this year -------------------------------------------------------- © 2006 Creators Syndicate, Inc. Every year since I was old enough to stay up late, I've watched the Academy Awards. This year, however, I have absolutely zero desire to watch the Oscars. In recent years, lack of quality from Hollywood has turned the Academy Awards into a special-interest-group get-together. If you're crazy, gay, have a disability or are a member of a minority race, you'll likely be nominated for an Oscar. If your film tackles a "deep social issue" (normally an issue dear to the hearts of Hollywood's liberal glitterati), you'll...

Author 'really surprised': Several nations with poor attendance do well on academics Heather Sokoloff Canadian teenagers are among the world's worst offenders when it comes to skipping school, with one in four regularly not showing up for class, according to a new report on students' feelings about school. Only Spain, Denmark, Greece, New Zealand and Iceland report higher absentee and tardiness rates among 15 year-olds in the 28 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Students in the United States are more likely to attend class than their Canadian counterparts, with one in five admitting they...

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Three of the Democrats' nine presidential contenders drew the wrath of the president of the NAACP on Monday for skipping the group's candidate forum, reflecting a growing sentiment among blacks that their loyalty to the Democratic Party is being taken for granted. The six Democratic presidential hopefuls shared the stage with four empty chairs, each labeled with the name of a White House candidate who didn't make it. They were President Bush (news - web sites) and Democrats Joe Lieberman (news - web sites), Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) and Dennis Kucinich. While Bush's absence...