In a recent interview after the indictment of former President Donald Trump for his alleged involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, one of his lawyers claimed that all Trump had asked his vice president, Mike Pence, to do was to “simply pause” the Electoral College count. However, Pence immediately refuted this statement, calling it “completely false.” He stated that Trump and his lawyers had actually asked him to reject votes. Pence emphasized the importance of the American people knowing the events leading up to January 6 and disclosed that Trump had demanded him to use his authority as vice president to overturn the election results. Pence clarified that he had no authority to do so. To validate his statements, Pence urged people to examine the indictment.
The indictment, encompassing 45 pages, prominently features Pence’s involvement. Approximately seven and a half pages specifically focus on Trump’s attempts to involve Pence in fraudulently altering the election results during the January 6 Certification Proceeding. The indictment heavily relies on interviews conducted with Pence by federal prosecutors, in addition to Pence’s contemporaneous notes documenting significant events and discussions. According to the indictment, Trump aimed to persuade Pence to use his ceremonial role at the certification to fraudulently alter the election results by employing false claims of election fraud. This involved convincing Pence to accept fraudulent electors, reject valid electoral votes, or send valid electoral votes to state legislatures for review instead of counting them. When these attempts failed, Trump resorted to pressuring Pence through a gathering of supporters in Washington, D.C.
The indictment outlines a series of events leading up to January 6:
– On December 23, 2020, Trump retweeted and subsequently deleted a memo titled “Operation ‘PENCE’ CARD.” This memo falsely claimed that Pence had the power to disqualify legitimate electors from targeted states. Additionally, a separate memo circulated by a co-conspirator proposed that Pence declare Trump the certified winner. This memo violated the Electoral Count Act.
– On December 25, 2020, Pence informed Trump during a phone call that he didn’t believe he had the authority to alter the outcome by rejecting electoral votes.
– On December 29, 2020, Trump falsely informed Pence that the Justice Department had discovered major election infractions in an attempt to sway his opinion.
– On January 1, 2021, tensions intensified as Trump berated Pence for opposing a lawsuit seeking a judicial decision on the vice president’s authority to reject or return votes. Trump expressed his preference for a more favorable outcome.
– On January 3, 2021, Trump reiterated to Pence that he had the power to reject electoral votes. However, Pence disagreed, referencing a recent federal appeals court ruling.
– On January 4, 2021, a meeting involving Trump, Pence, and other officials aimed to convince Pence, based on Trump’s false claims of election fraud, to reject Biden’s legitimate electoral votes.
– On January 5, 2021, at Trump’s direction, discussions continued with the recommendation that Pence unilaterally reject electors. The potential consequences of implementing this proposal were outlined as a potential street-level conflict.
– Despite Pence’s refusal to obstruct the certification, Trump issued a false public statement hours later claiming that he and Pence were in total agreement on the vice president’s authority to act.
– Finally, on January 6, 2021, Trump raised false expectations publicly by suggesting that Pence could fraudulently alter the election outcome, specifically by sending votes back to the states.
These events, as detailed in the indictment, shed light on the extent of Trump’s attempts to involve Pence in fraudulently altering the election results. It is a crucial part of the investigation into the events leading up to the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
Denial of responsibility! SamacharCentrl is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
