Former President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time on Tuesday, on charges related to the 2020 election.
Scheduled for a court appearance concerning the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, former Vice President Mike Pence may emerge as a pivotal witness in the case.
What Happened: Trump is facing four charges related to the 2020 election including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, related to the submission of votes for the 2020 election.
Television anchor Lawrence O’Donnell sees Pence and a single quote having a huge impact on the federal election interference charges.
O’Donnell told viewers that special counsel Jack Smith has to be able to show that Trump “knowingly” committed the charges he is facing, which is where Pence's role comes into play, as shared by The Wrap.
The indictment doesn’t name Pence as the person who told a grand jury about a private phone call between themselves and Trump, but O’Donnell is certain that person is the former vice president.
“The witness who spoke those words is obviously Donald Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence. That is the only way that those words could appear in quotation marks, on page 33 of today’s indictment,” O’Donnell said.
The key phrase in question is Trump telling Pence “You’re too honest,” according to the MSNBC anchor.
O’Donnell believes the quote is from a phone call in December 2020 when Trump tried to convince Pence to use his authority to overturn the 2020 election results.
If Pence denied Trump and said that he did not have the power to overturn the results, the quote “you’re too honest” by the former president could suggest that he knew it was an illegal act.
“This is going to be a very dramatic moment in this trial. That line will be the headline in the day’s coverage of the trial.”
O’Donnell said the quote could help “prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump knew that he was lying about Mike Pence’s power to overturn the election.”
Related Link: McCarthy, Ramaswamy Defend Trump After Third Indictment
Why It’s Important: Trump is set to appear in court Thursday to face the charges associated with his third indictment and to learn the conditions of his bail.
Since the 2020 election, the relationship between Trump and Pence has been strained. The former vice president stands out as one of the few 2024 election candidates willing to openly criticize Trump.
Other candidates have directed their attacks at President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party over the 2023 indictments against Trump, rather than using them as an opportunity to level negative comments against the former president.
Pence received 7% of the vote in a recent poll of Republican voters on who they would vote for in the 2024 Republican primary, ranking fourth and trailing Trump by a significant margin.
Read Next: Who Are Trump's 6 Unindicted Co-Conspirators In 2020 Election Case?
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
