Better late than never?
Vice President Mike Pence called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Thursday to offer his congratulations and assistance as Harris prepares to take over in less than a week, the New York Times reported Friday. Several other news organizations confirmed the call.
Pence’s call marks the vice president’s first effort to connect with his Democratic rival, more than two months after the November election. It stands in contrast with President Donald Trump’s flat refusal to reach out to President-elect Joe Biden.
As the President remains withdrawn from the public eye after inciting the violent assault on the Capitol, Pence has stepped in to assist with the transition to the new administration in the final days of Trump’s presidency.
During a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing on Thursday, Pence pledged to “ensure that we have a safe inauguration” and that “President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in as the new president and vice president of the United States.”