Republican Senator John Barrasso on Sunday backed Mike Pence for doing his "constitutional responsibility" to certify the 2020 election, amid ongoing assaults from former President Donald Trump in opposition to his former vice chairman.

Showing on Fox Information Sunday, Barrasso commented on Pence's remarks this week during which he mentioned he had no proper to overturn the outcomes of the presidential election, regardless of going through stress from Trump to take action.

"I heard this week that President Trump mentioned I had the best to overturn the election. President Trump is flawed. I had no proper to overturn the election," Pence mentioned in a speech on Friday. "The presidency belongs to the American folks, and the American folks alone."

In response, Barrasso complimented Pence for doing the best factor and famous that he himself voted to certify the election.

"I feel Mike Pence did his constitutional responsibility that day," mentioned the Wyoming lawmaker. "It is not the Congress that elects the president, it is the American folks." Barrasso additionally mentioned that the Republican Celebration must work on turning into extra unified, and mentioned his focus stays on future elections quite than the 2020 race.

"Folks of Wyoming are fed up as they're all throughout the nation with what's occurring right now. And my focus is on the long run, taking again the Home, taking again the Senate, the 2022 elections, not the 2020 elections," he mentioned.

Barrasso is the newest lawmaker to present his opinion on the matter as tensions between Trump and Pence appeared to achieve new highs this week.

John Barrasso Praises Pence
John Barrasso sided with Mike Pence on certifying the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, regardless of stress from Trump. Right here, the Republican senator speaks to reporters on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photos

Over the previous yr, Trump has repeatedly asserted that Pence had the facility to reject election outcomes from a number of key states that he claimed, with out proof, had been stolen from him resulting from voter fraud. On Tuesday, the previous president recommended Pence ought to be investigated for not sending Electoral Faculty votes again to state legislatures "for recertification or approval."

Pence's response on Friday ignited a flurry of each reward and condemnation from Republicans. A number of figures, together with former Trump aide Steve Bannon, attacked Pence for being disloyal to the previous president.

Trump additionally lashed out in opposition to Pence in a press release on Friday evening, accusing his former vice chairman of appearing as "an computerized conveyor belt for the Outdated Crow Mitch McConnell to get Biden elected President as rapidly as attainable," earlier than including, "I used to be proper and everybody is aware of it."

Others, together with GOP voters, have praised Pence for standing up in opposition to Trump.

"I used to be pleasantly stunned with how he dealt with it," mentioned Republican voter Christine Pratt, who attended Pence's speech. "I believed he did an amazing job. I feel it is time to transfer on from the 2020 election and sit up for 2024."

Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio on Sunday rejected Trump's declare that Pence had the facility to overturn the election, noting on Face the Nation, "Vice presidents cannot merely determine to not certify an election."

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, on Sunday referred to as Trump's response to Pence's speech "immature," including on ABC's This Week, "January 6 was a riot that was incited by Donald Trump in an effort to intimidate Mike Pence and the Congress into doing precisely what he mentioned in his personal phrases final week—overturn the election."