Mike Pence Testifies in Trump Investigation

Facts

• Former US Vice President Mike Pence testified in Washington, D.C. Thursday before a special grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former Pres. Trump and his actions in the aftermath of the 2020 election.¹
• The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court, in a sealed order, rejected Trump’s bid to prevent Pence’s appearance. Lawyers for both Trump and Pence challenged the subpoena for Pence’s testimony earlier this year.²
• Trump’s lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns, which a judge rejected. However, the judge sided with Pence’s claim that he could not be forced to testify about anything related to his role presiding over the Senate’s certification of the electoral votes.³
• Pence appeared amid increased security presence at the courthouse and is believed to have arrived around 9 a.m. with two black SUVs and left at 4:30 p.m. Pence wrote several pieces about his interactions with Trump, but Smith’s team is particularly interested in the former president’s efforts to allegedly block the election certification.⁴
• Details about Pence’s appearance have not been revealed, but his testimony represents a major development in the investigation. It also creates a precedent about the Vice President's power and privileges during investigations.⁵
• Trump was in New Hampshire for a campaign event on Thursday and said, "I don't know what he said, but I have a lot of confidence in him," when asked about Pence’s testimony. Pence may challenge his former boss for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.⁶

Sources: ¹ABC News, ²Al Jazeera, ³Associated Press, ⁴NBC, ⁵CNN, and ⁶BBC News.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Trump is in big trouble after failing to block Pence’s testimony before the Jan. 6 grand jury. Pence has already opened up about Trump’s plot to overturn the 2020 election, and now he will reveal much more under oath. Trump may be playing it cool regarding Pence’s testimony, but he should be very nervous.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Conservative Brief. Trump is being unfairly targeted by the political establishment and the Biden administration, and Jack Smith's special counsel investigation is just another example. A weaponized judiciary is defying all the norms — which the media and Democrats pretended to hold so sacredly — and is forcing testimonies unconstitutionally and violating Trump’s rights. This investigation, like so many others, is a witch hunt.