Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence did not rule out the possibility of becoming a prosecution witness in a potential trial against his former boss, Donald Trump.
Asked on a CBS News show about testifying in the trial, Pence mentioned that he currently has “no plans” to testify. The former vice president, however, he didn’t completely dismiss the idea.
“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,” Pence, who is also running against Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, said.
At the same time, Trump’s lawyer John Lauro, welcomed a potential Pence testimony, arguing in Sunday TV interviews that any post-2020 election actions taken by Trump were expressions of aspiration protected by free speech.
Why Mike Pence is important?
Pence became a central figure in Trump’s recent criminal charges on August 1, following a Justice Department indictment that accused the former president of unlawfully attempting to retain power after losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump entered a not guilty plea to all charges on August 3.
Before Biden’s victory in Congress was certified in January 2021, Pence presided over proceedings as president of the US Senate. He reportedly faced intense pressure from Trump to overturn the election results but refused to do so.
Also read | Mike Pence: ‘Different times call for different leadership’
The indictment frequently references this pressure.
The indictment also cites a January 1, 2021 phone call in which Trump criticised Pence for not participating in the effort to overturn the election outcome, telling him, “You are too honest.”
Pence’s potential testimony hold significance as potential key components of the prosecution’s case against Trump.
While Pence’s popularity remains low, Trump’s poll numbers have experienced boosts with all of his three indictments this year.
Pence took a more assertive stance against his former boss recently, accusing Trump of surrounding himself with “crackpot” lawyers after his 2020 defeat.
Pence’s campaign has capitalised on Trump’s indictment, introducing merchandise featuring a “Too Honest” logo, though his campaign struggles to gain momentum while Trump remains a dominant front-runner in the polls.
(With inputs from agencies)
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