No, Mike Pence wasn’t arrested

Capitol police whisked Vice President Mike Pence out of the Senate chamber to safety on Jan. 6 as a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. 

But on social media, some people reported that Pence had actually been arrested. 

"Multiple reports of Mike Pence being arrested," read one widely-shared Facebook post.

"Pence being arrested today??" another said. 

These posts were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

There’s no evidence to support that Pence was arrested that day or since, a news event that would certainly have generated more than a few headlines. 

In fact, Pence continued to tweet after he was escorted out of the chamber that afternoon. People who are under arrest generally aren’t allowed to keep posting on social media. 

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stated on October 28, 2024 in in social media posts

"Nicki Minaj just endorsed Donald Trump for President.”

"The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol must stop and it must stop now," Pence tweeted. "Anyone involved must respect law enforcement officers and immediately leave the building." 

That evening, Devin O’Malley, Pence’s press secretary, tweeted that Pence had returned to the Senate to resume certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, a process that was interrupted by the intruders.

"He never left the Capitol," O’Malley said. "@VP was in regular contact w/ House & Senate leadership, Cap Police, DOJ, & DoD to facilitate efforts to secure the Capitol & reconvene Congress."

A couple hours later, Americans could see for themselves that Pence wasn’t in custody when he presided over the televised joint session of Congress.

"Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol," he said.

On Jan. 8, he tweeted again for the first time since the attack, saying he and his wife were saddened by the death of the U.S. Capitol police officer who died that day. 

We rate claims that he was arrested False.

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