The Nail in Trump's Coffin May Be Mike Pence
Trump's VP could wreak havoc on his former boss
Mike Pence is an odd bird. He calls his wife "mother" and won't go to a party where alcohol is served (or women are present) unless "mother" is with him.
How did a man so fearful of half the human population become vice president of the United States?
Still, as odd as Pence is, he is not as crazy as his former boss. I've worked with plenty of difficult people, but none of them ever advocated hanging me for failure to perform.
So here we are, two years after the insurrection, the man afraid of women is being subpoenaed to testify against the man who advocated hanging his VP.
As we often say these days: You can't make this stuff up.
Pence, who was whisked away from the Capitol offices during the Jan 6 riot amid chants of "Hang Mike Pence," has not expressed anything akin to rage after his life was threatened. On the contrary, he seems committed to protecting Trump by doing everything he can to avoid testifying in the Jan 6 investigation.
Pence's argument for refusing to comply with the request from special counsel Jack Smith is absurd on its face — it also won't work. All it can do is postpone the inevitable.
Pence cites bogus excuse for refusing to testify in Jan 6 investigation
Pence claims the Speech and Debate clause of the Constitution protects him from testifying, but that clause only applies to legislators — not the executive branch.
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
In other words, we can’t question legislators on the content of the speeches or debates they engage in on the House or the Senate floor. In addition, the legislators may not be arrested while in session or walking to/from the halls of Congress.
But the shield Pence hopes this clause will provide does not cover any conversations he may have had with Trump on Jan. 6, which is what Jack Smith is interested in.
Graham tried the same argument— it failed
Senator Lindsay Graham had the same idea as Pence. He tried to use the Speech and Debate clause to avoid testifying in the Fulton County grand jury case, but it didn’t work. Despite Graham’s insistence on fighting this all the way to the Supreme Court, SCOTUS found that what happened in Fulton County, Georgia, was not covered by the clause because trying to steal an election is not the business of Congress.
So why is Pence trying to make the same argument? Because that’s all he’s got. Pence probably believes he can become the 2024 Republican nominee and doesn’t want to alienate the Republican base by testifying against Trump. But if that’s his thinking, he should think again.
The Republican base wanted to hang the man— they’re not about to vote for him.
Pence’s testimony will be disastrous for Trump
Pence will follow the law. We know this because when attempts to find a legal way to overturn the 2022 election failed, Pence did what he was supposed to do; he certified the election.
When faced with the possibility of perjury for lying under oath, Mike Pence will do what he always does; he will protect himself. That means telling the truth about what Trump said to him on Jan 6 and finally giving Jack Smith what he needs to show Trump’s state of mind on that fateful day.
That will also mean “game over” for Donald Trump.
Hallelujah!