Mike Pence to receive JFK Profile in Courage Award for actions during January 6 insurrection
Former Vice President Mike Pence will be presented with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in Boston for "putting his life and career on the line" during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Pence, President Donald Trump's vice president during his first term in the White House, will receive the award on May 4. It will be presented by Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of President Kennedy, and her son, Jack Schlossberg, during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
Mike Pence Profile in Courage Award
In a statement, Kennedy and Schlossberg said Pence will receive the award for his decision to certify Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory despite the attacks on the Capitol.
"Political courage is not outdated in the United States. At every level of government, leaders are putting country first, and not backing down. Despite our political differences, it is hard to imagine an act of greater consequence than Vice President Pence's decision to certify the 2020 presidential election during an attack on the U.S. Capitol," Kennedy and Schlossberg said. "Upholding his oath to the Constitution and following his conscience, the Vice President put his life, career, and political future on the line. His decision is an example of President Kennedy's belief that an act of political courage can change the course of history."
Pence released a statement as well, saying he is "humbled and honored" to receive 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.
In the past, Pence said that Trump's words and actions endangered him and his family on January 6. Pence chose not to endorse Trump during the 2024 election, saying Trump has walked away from conservative principles.
"I worked day in and day out for four and a half years to build that record of the Trump-Pence administration. I'm incredibly proud of it. But as I look at what Donald Trump is running on now, I simply cannot in good conscience, endorse his candidacy this year," Pence told Face the Nation in March 2024.
What is the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award?
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created in 1989 to honor the late president's commitment and contribution to public service. It is named after President Kennedy's 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage."
Previous recipients include former Presidents Barack Obama, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sen. John McCain, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A bipartisan committee of national, political, and community leaders selects the award winner each year.
