Book says Trump threatened Pence over Jan. 6: 'I don't want to be your friend anymore'

Former President Donald Trump threatened to end his friendship with Mike Pence on Jan. 5 unless the then-vice president refused to certify Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory.

The incident was revealed in "Peril," a new book by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. Details of the book were obtained by CNN.

The book "describes the tense encounter in the Oval Office on January 5 when Trump pressured Pence to overturn the results of the election," CNN reported. "While the showdown went on inside, the two men could hear MAGA supporters cheering and chanting outside near Pennsylvania Avenue."

"If these people say you had the power, wouldn't you want to?" Trump asked Pence.

"I wouldn't want any one person to have that authority," the vice president replied.

"But wouldn't it be almost cool to have that power?" Trump pressed.

"No," Pence insisted. "I've done everything I could and then some to find a way around this. It's simply not possible."

"No, no, no!" Trump reportedly shouted. "You don't understand, Mike. You can do this. I don't want to be your friend anymore if you don't do this."

The authors said that Trump tried again to convince Pence on the morning of Jan. 6.

"If you don't do it, I picked the wrong man four years ago," the president charged. "You're going to wimp out."

Later that day, Trump incited a riotous attack on the U.S. Capitol but it failed to prevent Pence and Congress from certifying Biden's victory.