Vice president Mike Pence doubled down on his assertion that he performed his duty under the Constitution on January 6th during a contentious exchange with a Trump supporter in Iowa. 

Pence told the woman that he never had the authority to send the 2020 election back to the states, as Trump had requested.

"I said when I announced, President Trump was wrong about my authority that day and he's still wrong. I believe it with all my heart," Pence said.

Pence confronted over 2020 election

The woman had asked Pence whether he ever regrets recognizing Biden as the next president.

"If it wasn't for your vote, we wouldn't have Joe Biden in the White House. Joe Biden shouldn't be there," the woman said.

"And all those wonderful things that you and Trump were doing together would be continuing and this country would be on the right path. Do you ever second guess yourself?"

.@Mike_Pence is confronted by an Iowa voter on his handling of the Electoral College count on January 6th. "I'm sorry ma'am, but that's actually what the Constitution says. No Vice President in American history ever asserted the authority that you have been convinced that I had." pic.twitter.com/u9rR19ZjEf

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 6, 2023

"With all due respect"

Pence told the woman "with all due respect" that she had been misled about his power under the Constitution. He received a few claps as he pushed back on Trump's claims about the election.

"No vice president in American history ever asserted the authority that you have been convinced I had," Pence told the voter.

"The Constitution affords no authority to the vice president or anyone else to reject votes or return votes to the states," Pence added. "Never been done before, should never be done in the future. I'm sorry ma'am, but that's actually what the Constitution says."

Dodges pardon question

As he seeks the GOP's nomination in 2024, Pence is challenged with overcoming poor favorability ratings among Republican voters, who believe overwhelmingly that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

While others like top Trump rival Ron DeSantis have equivocated about January 6th, Pence has distinguished himself from the pack by fulsomely criticizing the events of that day. In his campaign kickoff, Pence said Trump should "never" be president again.

Pence has been less clear on other matters dealing with Trump, including the question of whether he should receive a pardon as he faces a pair of indictments widely seen as political in nature.

In Iowa, Pence continued to dodge the issue, telling a voter it would be premature to weigh in now.

"I’ve been a governor, I’ve actually pardoned people," Pence said.

"And I think any pardon that you could conduct would only be appropriate to consider after somebody has been found guilty. And I don’t know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary assume the president’s going to be found guilty."