Mike Pence Does Not Rule Out Being Witness for Trump’s Prosecution – On Sunday, former Republican Vice President Mike Pence stated that he hasn’t planned to testify against his ex-boss Donald Trump in a potential trial on charges of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. However, he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of being a prosecution witness. This came in response to a question asked on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“But people can be confident we’ll obey the law. We’ll respond to the call of law, if it comes, and we’ll just tell the truth,” said Pence, who is running against Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest. Trump’s lawyer, John Lauro, said he will welcome Pence’s testimony if the former vice president decided to do so.
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Lauro argued in a series of TV interviews on Sunday any actions Trump took after the 2020 election were “aspirational asks,” protected by free speech. “Mike Pence will be one of our best witnesses at trial,” Lauro said on Sunday in an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” “I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to cross-examine Mr. Pence, because what he will do is completely eliminate any doubt that Mr. Trump, President Trump, firmly believed that the election irregularities had led to inappropriate results,” Lauro said.
On August 1, Pence became a key figure in the latest criminal charges against Trump when a 45-page indictment from the Justice Department accused the former president of illegally attempting to retain power after losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump pleaded not guilty to all four charges on August 3.
In the lead-up to the certification of Biden’s victory in Congress on January 6, 2021, Pence, as the ceremonial president of the U.S. Senate, was responsible for overseeing the proceedings. Under immense pressure from Trump to overturn the election results, Pence refused to do so. During the riot at the U.S. Capitol by some of Trump’s supporters, there were chants of “Hang Mike Pence!” directed at him.
That incessant pressure, and the “contemporaneous notes” Pence took in the run up the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, are frequently cited in the indictment. At one point, the indictment refers to a Jan. 1, 2021 phone call during which Trump berated Pence for not participating in the scheme to overturn the election result. “You’re too honest,” Trump told Pence.
Pence’s potential testimony and his notes could become key parts of the prosecution case against Trump at trial. For the first time in the primary campaign, Trump attacked Pence on Saturday. He denied he called him “too honest” and described him as “delusional.” Pence’s presidential campaign has faced significant challenges and hasn’t gained momentum.
There’s even a risk that he might not qualify for the first Republican presidential debate this month due to a lack of donors. His polling numbers have remained low, in contrast to Trump, who has emerged as the clear front-runner, with his popularity seemingly boosted each time he faces indictment. Trump has encountered legal troubles, having been indicted three times this year.
While he pleaded not guilty in two other criminal cases, he is currently facing federal charges in Miami for allegedly retaining classified documents after leaving office and obstructing justice, along with New York state charges in Manhattan for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star.
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There’s a possibility of Trump facing a fourth indictment in Georgia, related to his efforts to overturn his defeat in the battleground state after the 2020 election. Pence took on his former boss more forcefully last week, accusing him of surrounding himself with “crackpot” lawyers after his 2020 defeat. Pence’s campaign has sought to profit from Trump’s indictment. Last week they began selling hats and T-shirts with a “Too Honest” logo.