WATCH: Mike Pence Says ‘James Madison’ Told Him Not to Overturn Election

Former Vice President Mike Pence told an audience at the University of Iowa on Monday evening that “James Madison” had told him not to reject the results of the Electoral College vote when they were presented to Congress on January 6 this year.

Pence, addressing the Young America’s Foundation in Iowa City, spoke on the subject of “How to Save America from the Woke Left.”

After his talk, faced a question from an aggrieved member of the audience named Jared, who claimed that Pence had not followed a plan to send the election results back to the states, and had instead certified Joe Biden as the winner of the election.

Jared asked: “What is the name of the person who told you to buck President Trump’s plan, and certify the votes?”

Pence answered, “James Madison,” referring to the fourth President of the United States, who was principally responsible for the structure of the U.S. Constitution, including the checks and balances, and the states’ powers over elections.

The audience laughed and applauded, and Pence continued by explaining that while he shared the disappointment in the election result, he believed the Constitution did not give him an alternative, and that he had done his duty.

He referred to the text of Psalm 15:4, citing the need to keep an oath, “even when it hurts.”

He added that he supported efforts to investigate the election and pass laws to protect ballot integrity.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.