After withdrawing from the 2024 Republican presidential primary contest, legal commentator Danny Cevallos stated Sunday that the prospect of former Vice President Mike Pence testifying against Donald Trump in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) election tampering investigation is “high” and “almost a certainty.”
The Department of Justice charged Trump on four criminal counts in August as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, culminating in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, when a group of his supporters violently protested the election results in a failed effort to block congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. The former president has alleged, without providing evidence, that the election was stolen due to rampant voter fraud, and he has maintained his innocence in the matter.
Meanwhile, Pence was among the several candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, all of whom have struggled to overcome Trump’s overwhelming polling strength and reelection bid. Pence, in particular, struggled and received only a single-digit share of support from probable Republican voters. Some ascribed his problems to his unpopularity with independents and moderate Republicans due to his association with the Trump administration, as well as among MAGA Republicans due to his failure to support Trump’s attempts to reverse the election.
“It’s become clear to me that this is not my time,” Pence stated during his speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference on Saturday. “I have decided to suspend my presidential campaign beginning today.” We knew it would be a difficult battle, but I have no regrets.”
Cevallos was asked about the possibility of Pence testifying against his former employer on MSNBC on Sunday. “High almost certainly,” he said.
“I believe that when he objected to subpoenas in the past, he was doing so symbolically.” “He was just putting on a show,” Cevallos explained. “If he was speaking candidly behind closed doors, he was probably saying, ‘All right, we’ve got to argue against the subpoena just for show, just for my candidature.'” But, secretly, I can’t wait to walk in there and testify against the man who instilled such fear in me and many other members of Congress on that tragic day over a year ago.”
“I don’t think there’s going to be much of an impediment to Mike Pence racing in to testify,” the legal analyst added. “There is absolutely nothing holding him back now.”
“Pence has already flipped on Trump, and he’s going to be the star witness in the election fraud cases,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek on Sunday. Pence was the intended victim of the bogus elector plot; he has previously testified before the grand jury and has publicly stated that he told Trump that what he and his lawyers were planning was unconstitutional.”
“Pence’s withdrawal from the presidential race does not change his role as a witness in the cases,” he added. Indeed, it likely makes it simpler for him to testify without fear of offending potential voters.”
Jonathan Turley, a political analyst and law professor, told Newsweek on Sunday that “Pence has been consistent since the January 6 riot on his view of the allegations of election fraud.”
“I expect he will remain so as a potential witness,” Turley added. The evidence, not the animus, is at issue. We don’t know if Pence has any evidence that Trump realised he had lost the election and was aggressively pursuing charges that he believed were factually or legally incorrect.”
Trump had a message for Pence on Saturday, following the news of his withdrawal from the 2024 campaign.
“Everyone who leaves seemed to be backing me. People are going now, and they’re all supporting me. I’m not sure about Mike Pence, but he should support me. You know why he should support me? Because I had a fantastically successful presidency and he was the vice president. “He should support me,” stated the former president. “I chose him, made him vice president, but people in politics can be very disloyal.”
