Pence Says He Will Testify Against Trump
Former Vice President Mike Pence suggested Sunday that he would be willing to testify against former President Donald Trump if called upon to do so.
Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Pence told host Margaret Brennan that he has no plans to voluntarily testify against the former president, but would obey the law and "tell the truth" if called to do so by a court.
"I have no plans to testify, but people can be confident we'll obey the law. We'll respond to the call of the law, if it comes, and we'll just tell the truth," he said.
Pence's comments come as Special Counsel Jack Smith has included Pence's personal notes from the days surrounding January 6 as evidence against the former president.
The notes reportedly revealed that Trump and Pence had a New Year's Day exchange where Trump questioned whether the vice president had "exclusive authority and sole discretion to decide which electoral votes should count." Pence said in the notes that he informed Trump "that I didn't believe I possessed that power under the Constitution."
"You're too honest," Pence quoted Trump as responding. "Hundreds of thousands are gonna hate your guts.… People are gonna think you're stupid."
Trump denied making those comments and called Pence "delusional" in a heated statement on Saturday.
"I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was ‘too honest.’ He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person. I was surprised, but the article was right. Sad!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Pence's willingness to testify against Trump has drawn mixed reactions from the public. It has been praised by some as a brave move to uphold the rule of law, while others have painted it as an act of disloyalty, citing Pence's long history as a fervent Trump ally.
No matter the outcome, Pence's position as a potential witness against the former president seems to have irreparably damaged his relationship with Trump. Whether the former vice president will ever again be considered a trusted partner of Trump's is yet to be seen.