Donald Trump has claimed that his former Vice President Mike Pence is “mortally wounded” within the GOP, on account of his decision to ratify the 2020 election result.

       The former commander-in-chief, who is steadfast in his belief that the presidential election was illegitimate despite all evidence to the contrary, now claims that Mr Pence will struggle to attract support from those within the Republican Party – as a direct result of his actions on 6 January.

       Mr Trump was speaking on the first leg of his “History Tour”, in which he has teamed up with disgraced former Fox News host, Bill O’Reilly.

       The tour began in Sunrise, Florida this past weekend, where the aforementioned comments on Mr Pence were first made. Mr Trump’s words were soon shared on social media by attendees of the Florida event, where the 75-year-old was once again highly critical of his former colleague.

       Via CNN

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       “I was disappointed in one thing, but it was a big thing. Mike should have sent those crooked votes back to the legislatures and you would have had a different result in the election, in my opinion,” the former President told an audience on Saturday, per CNN.

       As The Hill reports, rumours have been swirling of late linking Mr Pence with a 2024 presidential run, although nothing has been made official. Such talk has intensified over the past few days, with the former VP embarking on a campaign-style tour through the crucial swing state of New Hampshire.

       “I think Mike has been very badly hurt by what took place in respect to January 6. I think he’s been mortally wounded, frankly, because I see the reaction he’s getting from people,” Mr Trump added.

       Mike Pence

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       The origin of the rift between the pair stems back to 6 January, when Mr Trump and some of his GOP allies seemingly grew angry over Mr Pence’s decision to certify Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States.

       However, Mr Pence defended his actions at a recent speaking event, stating: “I like that Bible verse that says, ‘He keeps his oath even when it hurts.’ I’d taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and I kept my oath that day,”