Former President Donald Trump accused former Vice President Mike Pence of providing testimony before prosecutors in the 2020 election investigations to “gain favor” with them and avoid facing separate criminal charges related to the possession of classified documents – although an ABC News report on Pence’s testimony on Tuesday indicates that the former vice president had harsh comments about Trump and his lawyers, while also affirming his loyalty to the former president.
Key Facts
Trump accused Pence of attempting to “gain favor” with the prosecutors by providing testimony late on Monday night, noting that Pence was under investigation by the Justice Department at the time for classified White House documents found at his home, and that the prosecutors concluded their investigation in June without filing any charges against the former vice president.
Pence had an incentive to “provide information that aligned with the Biden administration’s preferred and false narrative” in the Justice Department’s investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump’s lawyer claimed, so he could avoid criminal charges in the case of his documents.
Pence, who was pressured by Trump to block Congress from certifying the 2020 election on January 6, 2021, testified before the grand jury as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into the aftermath of the election, which ultimately led federal prosecutors to file criminal charges against Trump.
What to Watch For
Trump is set to appear at a trial for the federal election case in March 2024 and faces four criminal charges of conspiracy and obstruction, all of which could carry prison sentences if convicted. The former president has declared that he is not guilty of the charges against him and is seeking to have these charges dismissed, which are still under review. Pence is expected to be called as a witness in the trial.
What We Don’t Know
Trump’s lawyers requested the local court on Monday to compel the Justice Department to hand over documents related to the classified documents investigation concerning Pence and the prosecutors’ decision not to file charges. It remains unclear whether the court will grant Trump’s request, and the former president has also sought other information including evidence he believes will aid his defense, such as security requests from January 6 that would support Trump’s claims that he wanted to provide sufficient National Guard troops “to ensure it was a safe event,” and documents related to foreign interference in the 2020 general election and election security. Before Trump submitted his request on Monday for documents related to Pence, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, denied a separate request from Trump to subpoena documents from the January 6 congressional committee.
Surprising Fact
While Trump’s claims in his Monday submission allege that Pence crafted his testimony about the aftermath of the 2020 election to fit the investigators’ preferred narrative, an ABC source indicates that the prosecutors heavily questioned Pence based on comments he had already made in his book and the extensive notes he took during efforts to overturn the election, which the prosecutors obtained from the National Archives. Despite Pence providing “previously undisclosed stories and details” to the prosecutors, according to the ABC report, much of Pence’s testimony reflects public comments he had already made, and the prosecutors repeatedly asked the former vice president to confirm the details he had written in his book under oath.
Main Background
The details of the federal charges against Trump regarding his efforts to overturn the 2020 general election clarify how the former president pressured Pence to prevent Congress from certifying the results, which he directly requested in conversations and through social media posts in which he falsely claimed that Pence had the authority to reject the results. Pence refused to comply with Trump’s request, which led many of Trump’s supporters to turn against the vice president, as rioters on January 6 in the Capitol chanted “Hang Mike Pence.” Trump publicly attacked his former vice president after he refused to block the results, and he has repeatedly criticized him on Truth Social in recent months, stating that Pence is “delusional” and “not a very good person” and that he has made “totally false stories” about Trump. Pence ran against Trump in the 2024 presidential primary, leveraging the former president’s indictment to affirm his efforts to uphold the rule of law, but ultimately decided to suspend his campaign in October.
Reading
Future
Trump is scheduled to appear in a trial for the federal election case in March 2024, facing four criminal charges of conspiracy and obstruction, all of which could carry prison sentences if convicted. The former president has declared that he is not guilty of the charges against him and is seeking to dismiss these charges, which are still under consideration. Pence is expected to be called as a witness in the trial.
What We Don’t Know
Trump’s attorneys requested the local court on Monday to compel the Department of Justice to hand over documents related to the investigation of classified documents concerning Pence and the decision by prosecutors not to file charges. It remains unclear whether the court will grant Trump’s request, and the former president has also asked for other information, including evidence he believes will aid his defense, such as security requests from January 6 that would support Trump’s claims that he wanted to provide adequate National Guard troops “to ensure it was a safe event,” and documents related to foreign interference in the 2020 general election and election security. Before Trump submitted his request on Monday for documents concerning Pence, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who oversees the case, denied a separate request from Trump to subpoena documents from the January 6 Congressional Committee.
Stunning Fact
While Trump’s claims in his Monday submission assert that Pence fabricated his testimony regarding the consequences of the 2020 election to conform to the favored narrative of investigators, an ABC source indicates that prosecutors extensively interrogated Pence based on comments he had already made in his book and in the detailed notes he took during the efforts to overturn the election, which prosecutors obtained from the National Archives. Although Pence provided “previously undisclosed stories and details” to prosecutors, according to an ABC report, much of Pence’s testimony reflects the public comments he had already made, and prosecutors repeatedly asked the former Vice President to confirm the details he wrote in his book under oath.
Main Background
The specifics of the federal charges against Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 general election detail how the former president pressured Pence to prevent Congress from certifying the results, which he directly requested in conversations and social media posts in which he falsely claimed that Pence had the authority to reject the results. Pence refused to comply with Trump’s request, prompting many of Trump’s supporters to turn against the Vice President, with rioters on January 6 at the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” Trump publicly attacked his former Vice President since he refused to overturn the results and has repeatedly criticized him on Truth Social in recent months, stating that Pence is “delusional” and “not a very good person” and has fabricated “totally false stories” about Trump. Pence ran against Trump in the 2024 presidential primary, using the former president’s indictment to reinforce his efforts to uphold the rule of law, but ultimately decided to suspend his campaign in October.
Future Reading
Trump is scheduled to appear in a trial for the federal election case in March 2024, facing four criminal charges of conspiracy and obstruction, all of which could carry prison sentences if convicted. The former president has declared that he is not guilty of the charges against him and is seeking to dismiss these charges, which are still under consideration. Pence is expected to be called as a witness in the trial.
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