Vice President Mike Pence may skip town after overseeing final confirmation of Biden's 2020 victory to escape blowback from Trump, GOP

Vice President Mike Pence is eyeing a foreign trip the same day he will preside over Congress' session to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election, Politico reported.
Three US officials told Politico that the vice president is considering taking a trip that would take him overseas starting January 6, and a government document revealed that Bahrain, Israel, and Poland could be among the vice president's destinations on the trip.
The trip serves to reinforce the Trump administration's role in mending international relations between Israel and some Arab countries, Politico reported.
It also gives Pence a reason to leave Washington and avoid any blowback from the GOP, according to Politico.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is tasked with overseeing Congress' confirmation of election results, is tentatively planning on skipping town after the congressional session, Politico reported Thursday.

As vice president, Pence will preside over the congressional vote to approve President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election - putting him in a delicate position as President Donald Trump continues to tout baseless claims of election fraud.

Three US officials told Politico that the vice president is considering taking a trip that would take him overseas starting January 6 - the same day he would oversee the confirmation session for the 2020 election. A government document obtained by POLITICO revealed some destinations for the vice president include Bahrain, Israel, and Poland, as well as other locations to be determined.

Not only does the trip serve to reinforce the Trump administration's role in mending international relations between Israel and some Arab countries, but the visits could also "bolster already-strong credentials with the Christian right, which strongly supports Israel," Politico reported.

It also serves the dual purpose of giving the vice president an excuse to leave Washington to escape any blowback from the president or other Republicans should Congress confirm Biden as president-elect, according to the Politico report.

Representatives from the White House and the Office of the Vice President did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

A number of prominent Republican political figures have begun to recognize Biden as president-elect after the Electoral College affirmed his win, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The senator from Kentucky became the highest-profile Republican to accept the 2020 election results.

"The Electoral College has spoken," McConnell said Wednesday. "So today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden."

Biden later confirmed he had a "good conversation" with McConnell after calling him to "thank him for the congratulations."

Though some members of the GOP are coming to terms with an incoming Biden administration, Trump still has yet to concede the election. The president told some aides that he might refuse to leave the White House upon Biden's inauguration, CNN reported.

"He's throwing a f---ing temper tantrum," one source said. "He's going to leave. He's just lashing out."

Trump's comments contradicted his earlier remarks, saying he would "certainly" leave the White House should the Electoral College elect Biden, which they did in a 306-232 vote.

Read the original article on Business Insider