January 6 select committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi) and vice chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) have suggested that they might call in former Vice President Mike Penceto testify in their investigation. They want him to offer to testify voluntarily, but if he doesn’t, they may have to subpoena him, which is uncommon to do to a former vice president.
Testimony from Pence could be key to holding former President Donald Trump accountable for any role he had in the Capitol attack.
The negotiations could have implications for both parties, with the committee wanting to prove the unavoidability of cooperation with the investigation, and the Pence team’s goal of not giving the public anything that may complicate a Pence 2024 presidential campaign.
Pence previously said that he was undecided on if he would voluntarily cooperate with the investigation. Pence reportedly sees the investigation as a political move to sour his and his team’s relationship with team Trump. He believes that the committee is leading people to believe they have received a greater level of cooperation than they actually have.
Pence also knows that if he testifies, he will be asked to elaborate on the pressure Trump put on him to object to Biden’s win and delay or change the outcome of the election. With his testimony, a stronger connection could be built between the violence and Trump’s insistence to put pressure on Pence to “do the right thing.” When Pence confirmed Biden’s win, Trump harshly criticized him.
A formal invitation for Pence to testify is expected as soon as the end of the month.
