At the same time, Trump privately instructed Pence to dig into any potential fraud or "irregularities" in the election, telling Pence their campaign "was going to fight," in court and elsewhere, Pence allegedly told Smith's team.
>>>Merry Christmas
But, the sources said, with the pressure on Pence mounting, he concluded on Christmas Eve just for a moment that he would follow Trump's suggestion and let someone else preside over the proceedings on Jan. 6, writing in his notes that doing otherwise would be "too hurtful to my friend."
"Not feeling like I should attend electoral count," Pence wrote in his notes in late December. "Too many questions, too many doubts, too hurtful to my friend. Therefore I'm not going to participate in certification of election."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/pence-told-jan-6-special-counsel-harrowing-details/story?id=105183391