Former Vice President Mike Pence Honored By Kennedy Family In Receiving The Jfk 'profile In Courage Award'

BOSTON, Mass. – Former Vice President Mike Pence was honored connected Sunday nighttime for his actions connected Jan. 6, 2021, successful defying his then-boss, President Donald Trump.

Pence received nan John F. Kennedy Profile successful Courage Award for his refusal to grant Trump's petition to propulsion retired nan results of nan 2020 statesmanlike election, and alternatively oversaw legislature certification of erstwhile President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

"Vice President Pence put his life profession and that of his family connected nan statement to execute his law responsibilities. His actions preserved nan basal antiauthoritarian rule of free and adjacent elections and we are proud to grant him," erstwhile ambassador Caroline Kennedy, nan precocious President Kennedy's daughter, said successful presenting Pence pinch nan award.

Pence, successful accepting nan yearly award, emphasized that it's a "distinction that I will cherish for nan remainder of my life."

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Former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledges his unit members arsenic he speaks aft receiving nan John F. Kennedy Profile successful Courage Award during a ceremonial astatine nan JFK Library, Sunday, May 4, 2025, successful Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

And nan erstwhile vice president, pointing to his actions connected Jan. 6, said to a opinionated ovation, "I will ever judge by God’s grace that I did my work that day."

In a Fox News Digital question and reply minutes aft nan awards ceremony, Pence said, "in each my travels crossed nan state successful nan past 4 years, I've been profoundly humbled by really galore Americans person travel up to maine and conscionable taken a constituent to promote america and support us, and it convinces maine that nan American group cognize that what ever differences we whitethorn have, nan Constitution is nan communal crushed connected which we stand."

The now-65-year-old Pence was Indiana's politician erstwhile Trump named him his moving mate successful 2016. For 4 years, Pence served arsenic nan loyal vice president to Trump during nan president's first word successful nan White House.

However, everything changed connected Jan. 6, 2021, arsenic right-wing extremists — including immoderate chanting "hang Mike Pence" — stormed nan U.S. Capitol aiming to upend legislature certification, overseen by Pence arsenic portion of his law duties arsenic vice president, of Biden’s Electoral College victory.

The attack connected nan Capitol took spot soon aft Trump said to a ample rally of supporters adjacent nan White House astir unproven claims that nan 2020 predetermination was "rigged" owed to monolithic "voter fraud."

Pence has agelong described nan convulsive onslaught connected nan Capitol arsenic "tragic" and dishonoring to "the millions of group who had supported our origin astir nan country." He has emphasized that he did "the correct thing" and performed his "duty nether nan Constitution." He has besides noted a number of times that he and Trump whitethorn never "see oculus to oculus connected that day."

In this Jan. 6, 2021 photo, protesters loyal to President Donald Trump large wind nan Capitol successful Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

While Pence, his family and apical aides were hastily moved by Secret Service agents arsenic rioters roamed nan halls of nan Capitol, Trump based on successful a societal media station that "Mike Pence didn’t person nan courageousness to do what should person been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected group of facts, not nan fraudulent aliases inaccurate ones which they were asked to antecedently certify."

Pence rejected nan proposal of nan Secret Service that he fly nan Capitol, and aft nan rioters were yet removed from nan Capitol, he resumed his law domiciled successful overseeing nan legislature certification ceremony.

The erstwhile vice president has many times refuted Trump's declare that he could person overturned nan statesmanlike predetermination results. Despite that, hardcore Trump loyalists person ne'er forgiven Pence, whom they position arsenic a traitor, for refusing to assistance nan president's repeated efforts to overturn nan 2020 predetermination results.

Former Vice President Mike Pence formally announced his candidacy for president successful Ankeny, Iowa, connected June 7, 2023. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Pence successful June 2023 launched a statesmanlike run of his own, joining a ample section of challengers to Trump gunning for nan 2024 GOP nomination, becoming nan first moving mate successful complete 80 years to tally against their erstwhile boss.

Pence ran connected a accepted blimpish platform, framing nan early of nan Republican Party against what he called nan emergence of "populism" successful nan party. 

Among nan slim anti-Trump guidelines of nan Republican Party, Pence received praise for his courageousness during nan onslaught connected nan Capitol, often receiving acknowledgment astatine municipality halls during his run for opinionated up to Trump. 

While Pence regularly campaigned successful nan important early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, his White House bid ne'er took off. Struggling successful nan polls and pinch fundraising, he suspended his run conscionable 4 and a half months aft declaring his candidacy.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks aft receiving nan John F. Kenney Profile successful Courage Award, astatine nan JFK Library successful Boston, Massachusetts, connected May 4, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

The Profile successful Courage Award is named for a book nan precocious John F. Kennedy published successful 1957 earlier he became president.

The grant honors nationalist officials who return opinionated stands contempt nan imaginable governmental aliases individual consequences. Among nan erstwhile recipients were erstwhile Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.

Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson, who introduced nan erstwhile vice president astatine nan awards ceremony, said Pence "saved America that day."

Former Vice President Mike Pence, 2nd from right, stands pinch his wife, Karen Pence, acold right, arsenic he is presented pinch nan John F. Kennedy Profile successful Courage Award by Jack Schlossberg and his mother, Caroline Kennedy, astatine a ceremonial astatine nan JFK Library, Sunday, May 4, 2025, successful Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Caroline Kennedy, successful honoring nan erstwhile vice president, noted her "political differences" pinch Pence, but emphasized that "political courageousness is not outdated successful nan United States."

And Pence, a well-known fiscal and societal conservative, joked astir speaking successful beforehand of an assemblage dominated by Democrats, saying that he was "the number successful this room."

After dropping his ain bid for nan White House, Pence declined to endorse Trump, moreover aft Trump clinched nan GOP information past spring, though he did congratulate his erstwhile moving mate aft his triumph past November.

Trump and Pence were seen shaking hands astatine erstwhile President Jimmy Carter's ceremonial successful early January – their first nationalist quality together successful astir 4 years.

TRUMP, PENCE SHAKE HANDS AT CARTER FUNERAL IN FIRST PUBLIC MEETING SINCE LEAVING OFFICE

Former Vice President Al Gore (left) watches arsenic erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence (center) shakes hands pinch then-President-elect Donald Trump earlier a State Funeral Service for nan precocious President Jimmy Carter astatine nan Washington National Cathedral successful Washington, DC, connected January 9, 2025. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Pence has emerged arsenic a uncommon vocal Republican professional of Trump truthful acold during nan president's 2nd circuit of work successful nan White House.

He has critiqued Trump's arguable and haphazard implementation of monolithic tariffs connected America's largest trading partners, which initially sparked a monolithic banal marketplace sell-off, and raised concerns of accrued ostentation and talk of a recession.

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He has besides criticized nan president's upending of longstanding American overseas argumentation and has urged Trump to guidelines pinch longtime world allies.

Pence's nationalist defense group, Advancing American Freedom, besides campaigned against nan nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead nan nation’s wellness agencies.