Pence Won’t Rule Out Testifying Against Trump

Facts

• Former US VP Mike Pence on Sunday said in an interview he has “no plans” to testify against former Pres. Donald Trump, but the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination also didn’t rule out doing so.¹
• Trump was indicted last week on four charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, claiming voter fraud changed the results of the race.²
• Pence explained that he would always obey the law and referenced his previous testimony before a grand jury investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol after he was subpoenaed.²
• Pence also expressed concern over what he called the “politicization of the justice department for years,” and noted he doesn’t know whether the government has “evidence beyond a reasonable doubt” to prosecute Trump.³
• In a separate interview Sunday, Trump’s attorney John Lauro said that Pence testifying for the prosecution would benefit the former president despite differences in the two men’s accounts of what transpired Jan. 6.⁴

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²ABC News, ³Guardian (a) and ⁴Guardian (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by PJ Media. Pence might be running against Trump for the GOP nomination, but his testimony – if it’s consistent with what he wrote in his book – could save Trump in this case. Pence’s book details how Trump was taking advice from top legal scholars and earnestly believed voter fraud had led to his defeat. That will show Trump was just exercising his First Amendment right to question the election results.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by NBC. The spin from Trump’s camp over Pence’s potential testimony shows they’re scared that the former VP has the goods on Trump. The indictment shows that Pence saw right through Trump’s “crackpot lawyers” and was even accused by the former president of being “too honest” – evidence Trump knew what he was orchestrating was illegal. Pence could take down Trump, and Trump knows it.

Predictions