Politics Fact check: Social media falsely claims Vice President Mike Pence was arrested

The claim: Vice President Mike Pence was arrested on Wednesday

© Pool, Getty Images Vice President Mike Pence presides over a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results on January 6, 2021.

On Wednesday, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol while members of the House and Senate met inside to certify the results of the presidential contest.

Vice President Mike Pence was also at the Capitol to preside over the proceedings. Shortly after rioters breached the Capitol, Phil Godlewski took to Facebook to claim that Pence had been arrested.

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"Multiple reports of Mike Pence being arrested," he wrote. Godlewski has not responded to a request from USA TODAY for comment.

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Pence was not arrested, never left the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday

In reality, Pence was not arrested amid the chaos at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Around 2 p.m., the first rioters entered the U.S. Capitol. Soon after, Pence and other leaders were moved out of the Senate Chamber and taken to a secure location, per USA TODAY.

At 3:35 p.m., Pence took to Twitter to call on rioters to leave the Capitol.

The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building.

Trump is repaying Pence's 4 years of unflinching loyalty by making him a scapegoat for his election loss

Trump's move to put all of this on Pence means that the vice president is likely to be vilified in the eyes of the president's supporters.The president has in recent days falsely suggested that Pence can overturn the 2020 election results, saying at a rally in Georgia on Monday night, "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you.

And Vice President Mike Pence 's four-year strategy of unctuousness toward his boss is about to come unstuck. Trump has no patience for the law that means the vice president merely presides over the certification of the process and has no power to reject electoral votes for Biden on the basis of lies

Vice - President Mike Pence defended the US government's response to coronavirus, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because President Trump suspended all travel from China, in the early stages of the outbreak. Mr Trump issued an order on 31 January which stopped foreign

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 6, 2021

Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 6, 2021

Around 6 p.m., the Capitol Sergeant at Arms announced that the building was secure.

At 7:12 p.m., Devin O’Malley, a spokesperson for Pence, provided an update on the vice president on Twitter, noting that he had returned to the Senate Chamber and "never left the Capitol."

Vice President @Mike_Pence has returned to the Senate. He never left the Capitol.@VP was in regular contact w/ House & Senate leadership, Cap Police, DOJ, & DoD to facilitate efforts to secure the Capitol & reconvene Congress.

And now we will finish the People’s business.

— Devin O’Malley (@VPPressSec) January 7, 2021

Around 8 p.m., Pence had resumed his role presiding over the Senate, calling it "a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol."

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"We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms. We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls as well as those injured in our Capitol today," he said.

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Our ruling: False

Based on our research, the claim that Vice President Mike Pence was arrested on Wednesday is FALSE. In reality, around 2 p.m., he was moved from the Senate Chamber to a secure location, and returned back to the Senate around 7 p.m. He was on Twitter in the interim.

Our fact-check sources:

• USA TODAY, Jan. 6, DC updates: 4 dead, 52 arrested, 14 police officers injured after pro-Trump rioters breach US Capitol
• Vice President Mike Pence, Jan. 6, tweet
• Vice President// Mike Pence, Jan. 6, tweet
• Devin O'Malley, Jan. 6, tweet

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Opinion: The humiliation of Mike Pence

Michael D'Antonio writes that in an effort to position himself for a leadership position in the Republican Party, Vice President Mike Pence is feeding President Donald Trump's baseless election fraud claims, staking his future on the Trump legacy.The four-year humiliation of Vice President Mike Pence is reaching a crescendo.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Social media falsely claims Vice President Mike Pence was arrested