Mike Pence, the former Vice President, appeared before a federal grand jury on Thursday to testify about the events following the 2020 election, focusing on the actions of then-President Donald Trump and other key individuals. This marks a significant development in the ongoing criminal investigation and represents the first time in modern history that a vice president has been required to testify about the president they served with.
Pence spoke for over five hours during his testimony. While Marc Short, an adviser to Pence, did not confirm Pence's appearance on Thursday, he did discuss the legal battle surrounding the testimony. According to Short, Pence was pleased that a judge acknowledged the Speech and Debate Clause's applicability to the vice president, but ultimately complied with the law and testified as ordered by the courts.
The testimony is expected to cover Pence's conversations with Trump leading up to January 6, 2021. Trump had exerted considerable pressure on Pence to overturn the 2020 election results, including during a private phone call on the morning of January 6. A federal judge previously ruled that Pence could be required to testify about any conversations with Trump that might involve corrupt actions.
As Pence contemplates a potential challenge against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, his testimony may provoke a strong negative response from his former superior. Pence has frequently mentioned his refusal to comply with Trump's demands on January 6 during political events and a recent book tour, but he had not previously spoken under oath as part of any investigation.
The Washington, DC grand jury proceedings are confidential and began just before 9 a.m. ET on Thursday. Security was increased within the courthouse, and two SUVs with tinted windows were observed transporting people to the building. Both a spokesperson for special counsel Jack Smith's office and a spokesperson for Pence declined to comment on the matter.
Jack Smith's investigation has sought to question Pence under oath due to his close proximity to Trump while in the White House. Both Pence and Trump attempted to block the subpoena through legal means, but trial and appellate judges ordered Pence to testify about his direct conversations with the then-President.
Trump's communications with Pence prior to the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, have been a key area of interest for investigators. Although Pence did not testify before the House select committee that investigated the insurrection, several individuals from Trump's circle provided information about a heated phone call between Trump and Pence on the day of the attack.
Much of the information about Trump's conversations with Pence leading up to the insurrection has come from Pence's memoir published last year, as well as from witnesses in the House investigation into the attack. In his memoir, Pence revealed that Trump warned him that he would become the target of hatred from hundreds of thousands of people because he was "too honest" to attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
