BOSTON – On Sunday, former Vice President Mike Pence is set to be honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award due to his decision to oppose President Donald Trump’s attempts to stay in power following the 2020 election loss.
The JFK Library Foundation announced last month that the award acknowledges Pence “for risking his life and career to uphold the constitutional transfer of presidential power on January 6, 2021.” He will receive the accolade at the JFK Library in Boston.
Amid pressure from Trump to disregard election results from swing states where Trump falsely alleged fraud, Pence stood firm, declaring he lacked the authority to do so. During the Capitol riot, some of Trump’s supporters chanted threats against Pence, calling to “hang Mike Pence,” prompting Secret Service agents to swiftly escort him to safety, narrowly avoiding the mob.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building.
Pence rejected the Secret Service’s advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory once rioters were cleared.
The Profile in Courage Award, named for a book Kennedy published in 1957 before he became president, honors public officials who take principled stands despite the potential political or personal consequences. Previous recipients of the award include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.
“Political courage is not outdated in the United States. At every level of government, leaders are putting country first, and not backing down,” Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s daughter and grandson, both of whom will present Pence with the award, said in a statement. “His decision is an example of President Kennedy’s belief that an act of political courage can change the course of history.”
Pence said in a statement that he’s “deeply humbled and honored” to get the award.
“I have been inspired by the life and words of President John F. Kennedy since my youth and am honored to join the company of so many distinguished Americans who have received this recognition in the past,” Pence said.
Pence has emerged as one of the few Republicans willing to take on the Trump administration.
His political action group, Advancing American Freedom, campaigned against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation’s health agencies. He’s delivered speeches urging the president to stand with longtime foreign allies and posted an article he penned more than a decade ago on the limits of presidential power after Trump claimed that, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
