Mike Pence served as the 48th vice president of the United States during the first presidency of Donald Trump from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. Pence, a member of the Republican Party who previously served as the Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, was selected as Trump's running mate and took office following their electoral college victory in the 2016 presidential election over Democratic nominees Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. The defining moment of Pence's vice presidency was his refusal to obey Trump's orders to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election during the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack.
Pence's vice presidency was not as influential in day-to-day governance as his three predecessors, Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden. Alongside Pence's vice presidency, the Republican Party also held their majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate during the 115th U.S. Congress following the 2016 elections, attained an overall federal government trifecta. During Pence's tenure as vice president, he chaired the National Space Council and the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
