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Former Vice President Mike Pence received the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday for his refusal to support President Donald Trump’s unlawful efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation honored Pence “for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021.” The award was presented at a ceremony in Boston.
Pence, who presided over the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, refused to bow to Trump’s relentless pressure to reject legitimate results from key swing states. Constitutional scholars widely agreed Pence had no legal authority to alter the outcome. Still, Trump and his allies pushed false claims of voter fraud, pressuring Pence to take unprecedented and unlawful action.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” Trump posted on social media as a violent mob stormed the Capitol, some chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” At the time, Pence was hiding inside the Capitol with his family and aides under the protection of Secret Service agents. He ultimately refused to flee, choosing instead to return and complete the certification process that night.
Pence’s decision to stand firm in the face of grave political and personal danger earned him rare bipartisan praise — and now a place among the recipients of one of America’s most distinguished public service honors. Past recipients of the Profile in Courage Award include Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush, and Gerald Ford.
“Political courage is not outdated in the United States,” said Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg, who presented the award. “Mike Pence’s decision is an example of President Kennedy’s belief that an act of political courage can change the course of history.”
Pence said he was “deeply humbled and honored” by the recognition, calling JFK a personal inspiration. “I am honored to join the company of so many distinguished Americans who have received this recognition in the past,” Pence said in a statement.
Since leaving office, Pence has emerged as a rare voice of dissent in the Republican Party, occasionally criticizing Trump’s continued grip on GOP politics. His organization, Advancing American Freedom, recently opposed the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead U.S. health agencies and has advocated for constitutional restraint on presidential power.
Though politically isolated from Trump’s base, Pence’s stand on January 6 has left an enduring mark on American history — and now, a formal legacy of courage.
