'Trump's pressure campaign on Pence was more vindictive than anyone imagined"
Jun 17, 2022 05:55:07 #
"The House J*** 6 c*******e has not yet run out of jaw-dropping revelations about former president Donald Trump’s attempted c**p.
Its session on Thursday put on full display Trump’s effort to bully Vice President Mike Pence into helping him steal an e******n. And testimony suggested he did so despite warnings that Pence was in danger of violence at the Capitol.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the committee, opened the hearing by quoting Pence’s statement that nothing was more “un-American” than a single person picking the president, as Trump wanted Pence to do. Thompson praised Pence’s “courage" in rejecting this harebrained scheme. The committee’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), similarly praised the former vice president: "Vice President Pence understood that his oath of office was more important than his loyalty to Donald Trump. He did his duty. President Trump unequivocally did not.”
Cheney introduced video deposition from Marc Short, Pence’s chief of staff, who recalled that Pence repeatedly told Trump he did not have the power to reject e*******l v**es. Pence’s former general counsel, Greg Jacob, also testified that from the get-go, the vice president knew there was “no way” the Founding Fathers would ever have put one person — someone on the p**********l ticket, no less — in a role to have such a decisive impact on the outcome. Moreover, Jacob said, Trump attorney John Eastman admitted in front of Trump that what Pence was asked to do would have violated the E*******l Count Act — unequivocal evidence that Trump knew what he was doing was illegal.
Eastman’s scheme to reject e*******l v**es was based on lies. Jacob testified that Eastman’s assertion that there were “dual slates” of e*****rs was not true. Cheney also referenced an email in which Eastman admitted there were no certified alternate slates of e*******l v**es. Eastman himself knew the theory was nonsense, according to the committee’s witnesses. He even told Jacob that should his theory go to the Supreme Court, it would lose 9-0.
At one point, Jacob said, Eastman argued that while Democrats should not have the power to reject e*******l v**es in 2024, Pence should nonetheless do it. If ever there were decisive evidence of corrupt intent, this was it.
As J*** 6 approached, Eastman reportedly recommended against Pence rejecting e*******l v**es outright, suggesting instead that he send the v**es back to the states for reconsideration. The next day, Eastman reversed himself, asking Pence to reject the e*****rs. Jacob was understandably “surprised” and warned how perilous Eastman’s scheme was. He testified telling Eastman that "you would be in a situation where you have a standoff between the president of the United States and, counterfactually, the vice president of the United States.”
J. Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge who served as an informal adviser to Pence, similarly told the committee that had Pence followed Trump’s orders, he “would have plunged America into what I believe would have been tantamount to a revolution within a constitutional crisis in America, which, in my view, would have been the first constitutional crisis since the founding of the republic.” He added starkly, “I would have laid my body across the road before I let the vice president overturn the 2020 e******n.” He added, "This is constitutional mischief.”
The kicker: Eastman later requested a pardon from Trump.
The committee also confirmed that Justice Department lawyers, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Eric Herschmann all reiterated that the theory was crazy. Herschmann said he told Eastman, “You’re going to cause r**ts in the streets.” He said Eastman responded, “There’s been violence in the history of our country.” That contempt for democracy is nothing short of terrifying.
Despite all these warnings — and even though he conceded that his legal theories would not hold up — Eastman went before the crowd outside the White House on J*** 6 alongside fellow Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to insist that Pence could change the e******n’s outcome. That suggests their aim was to terrorize Pence and Congress.
Indeed, Trump publicly pressured and taunted Pence in the days leading up to J*** 6. Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller testified that Trump dictated a statement falsely asserting that Pence agreed with Trump that he could o*******w the e******n. Short also testified that he told the Secret Service on Jan. 5 that he was worried Trump would “lash out in some way.”
Then there was Trump’s irate phone call with Pence on the morning of J*** 6. Staff said that Trump reportedly called him a “wimp” and the “p-word,” among other things, for refusing to blow up the certification proceedings. The call conveyed just how apoplectic Trump was at the prospect of not getting his way.
The committee also revealed that Trump had added his remarks about Pence into his speech preceding the attack on the Capitol. He also ad libbed jabs at Pence. He plainly was out to incense the crowd after Pence had stood up to him.
Even after the mob descended on the Capitol, Trump continued to bait the crowd. White House staff testified that Meadows had warned Trump about the violence before Trump sent out a tweet berating Pence at 2:24 p.m. From all appearances, Trump appeared to be intentionally endangering the vice president. White House aide Sarah Matthews testified that Trump had poured gasoline on the fire.
The committee previously reported that the mob came within less than 50 feet of the vice president. Members of the P***d B**s told the FBI the i**********nists would have k**led him if they had found him. Remember that while considering the details of Trump’s attempt to incite the crowd against Pence that day. Trump, it seems, is far more vindictive than anyone could have imagined."
Jennifer Rubin
Its session on Thursday put on full display Trump’s effort to bully Vice President Mike Pence into helping him steal an e******n. And testimony suggested he did so despite warnings that Pence was in danger of violence at the Capitol.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the committee, opened the hearing by quoting Pence’s statement that nothing was more “un-American” than a single person picking the president, as Trump wanted Pence to do. Thompson praised Pence’s “courage" in rejecting this harebrained scheme. The committee’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), similarly praised the former vice president: "Vice President Pence understood that his oath of office was more important than his loyalty to Donald Trump. He did his duty. President Trump unequivocally did not.”
Cheney introduced video deposition from Marc Short, Pence’s chief of staff, who recalled that Pence repeatedly told Trump he did not have the power to reject e*******l v**es. Pence’s former general counsel, Greg Jacob, also testified that from the get-go, the vice president knew there was “no way” the Founding Fathers would ever have put one person — someone on the p**********l ticket, no less — in a role to have such a decisive impact on the outcome. Moreover, Jacob said, Trump attorney John Eastman admitted in front of Trump that what Pence was asked to do would have violated the E*******l Count Act — unequivocal evidence that Trump knew what he was doing was illegal.
Eastman’s scheme to reject e*******l v**es was based on lies. Jacob testified that Eastman’s assertion that there were “dual slates” of e*****rs was not true. Cheney also referenced an email in which Eastman admitted there were no certified alternate slates of e*******l v**es. Eastman himself knew the theory was nonsense, according to the committee’s witnesses. He even told Jacob that should his theory go to the Supreme Court, it would lose 9-0.
At one point, Jacob said, Eastman argued that while Democrats should not have the power to reject e*******l v**es in 2024, Pence should nonetheless do it. If ever there were decisive evidence of corrupt intent, this was it.
As J*** 6 approached, Eastman reportedly recommended against Pence rejecting e*******l v**es outright, suggesting instead that he send the v**es back to the states for reconsideration. The next day, Eastman reversed himself, asking Pence to reject the e*****rs. Jacob was understandably “surprised” and warned how perilous Eastman’s scheme was. He testified telling Eastman that "you would be in a situation where you have a standoff between the president of the United States and, counterfactually, the vice president of the United States.”
J. Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge who served as an informal adviser to Pence, similarly told the committee that had Pence followed Trump’s orders, he “would have plunged America into what I believe would have been tantamount to a revolution within a constitutional crisis in America, which, in my view, would have been the first constitutional crisis since the founding of the republic.” He added starkly, “I would have laid my body across the road before I let the vice president overturn the 2020 e******n.” He added, "This is constitutional mischief.”
The kicker: Eastman later requested a pardon from Trump.
The committee also confirmed that Justice Department lawyers, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Eric Herschmann all reiterated that the theory was crazy. Herschmann said he told Eastman, “You’re going to cause r**ts in the streets.” He said Eastman responded, “There’s been violence in the history of our country.” That contempt for democracy is nothing short of terrifying.
Despite all these warnings — and even though he conceded that his legal theories would not hold up — Eastman went before the crowd outside the White House on J*** 6 alongside fellow Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to insist that Pence could change the e******n’s outcome. That suggests their aim was to terrorize Pence and Congress.
Indeed, Trump publicly pressured and taunted Pence in the days leading up to J*** 6. Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller testified that Trump dictated a statement falsely asserting that Pence agreed with Trump that he could o*******w the e******n. Short also testified that he told the Secret Service on Jan. 5 that he was worried Trump would “lash out in some way.”
Then there was Trump’s irate phone call with Pence on the morning of J*** 6. Staff said that Trump reportedly called him a “wimp” and the “p-word,” among other things, for refusing to blow up the certification proceedings. The call conveyed just how apoplectic Trump was at the prospect of not getting his way.
The committee also revealed that Trump had added his remarks about Pence into his speech preceding the attack on the Capitol. He also ad libbed jabs at Pence. He plainly was out to incense the crowd after Pence had stood up to him.
Even after the mob descended on the Capitol, Trump continued to bait the crowd. White House staff testified that Meadows had warned Trump about the violence before Trump sent out a tweet berating Pence at 2:24 p.m. From all appearances, Trump appeared to be intentionally endangering the vice president. White House aide Sarah Matthews testified that Trump had poured gasoline on the fire.
The committee previously reported that the mob came within less than 50 feet of the vice president. Members of the P***d B**s told the FBI the i**********nists would have k**led him if they had found him. Remember that while considering the details of Trump’s attempt to incite the crowd against Pence that day. Trump, it seems, is far more vindictive than anyone could have imagined."
Jennifer Rubin
Jun 17, 2022 06:03:53 #
The testimony on Thursday was all from Republican insiders who once worked for either Trump or Pence. It was not partisan lies, but the T***h about Trump and his attempted c**p.
Jun 17, 2022 06:23:33 #
I think most folks are quite aware of how vindictive he has been, so none should be surprised.
Jun 17, 2022 06:29:16 #
Bazbo
Loc: Lisboa, Portugal
Kmgw9v wrote:
The testimony on Thursday was all from Republican insiders who once worked for either Trump or Pence. It was not partisan lies, but the T***h about Trump and his attempted c**p.
Sadly, these insiders bring t***h to the party a little late. The time to bear witness to the bug-eyed gibberish was then, not now. No Profiles in Courage awards for this crowd.
I am reminded of the post-war "Good Germans" who were more than eager to bear witness to the evil of Hitler--but only after the party was over and it was ass-covering time.
"OK, I knew it was the Luftwaffe, but at least I learned to fly!"
Jun 17, 2022 06:40:09 #
Bazbo wrote:
Sadly, these insiders bring t***h to the party a little late. The time to bear witness to the bug-eyed gibberish was then, not now. No Profiles in Courage awards for this crowd.
I am reminded of the post-war "Good Germans" who were more than eager to bear witness to the evil of Hitler--but only after the party was over and it was ass-covering time.
"OK, I knew it was the Luftwaffe, but at least I learned to fly!"
I am reminded of the post-war "Good Germans" who were more than eager to bear witness to the evil of Hitler--but only after the party was over and it was ass-covering time.
"OK, I knew it was the Luftwaffe, but at least I learned to fly!"
Absolutely, this information should have been brought sooner. It makes sense that the Republican leadership wanted no part of an investigation. The country should be grateful to know the t***h, thanks to the work of the committee. The information about Trump’s evil intent is late, but still vitally important—and as Judge Lutigg said, especially with regard to the 2024 e******n.
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