WASHINGTON. Former US Vice President Mike Pence summoned to testify under oath by the special counsel investigating the events of January 6, 2021, in particular his role in the attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. According to ABC News, the decision to subpoena Pence as a special prosecutor came “after months of negotiations between federal prosecutors and Mr. Pence’s legal team.”

His testimony could shed light on the exact circumstances of Trump’s attempt to block ratification of his Democratic rival Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Donald Trump publicly pressured Mike Pence not to confirm the results of the January 6, 2021 presidential election, while Pence was besieged by angry Trump supporters on Capitol Hill. Trump’s actions were called “irresponsible” by Pence as he tried to bolster his ambitions of running the Republican presidential nominee in 2024. Pence, however, refused to testify before a House committee about the attack on the Capitol.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is also conducting a second investigation into the former US president’s handling of classified documents after he left the White House.

Trump’s obstacles

Donald Trump, who has already announced his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election, may try to block Pence’s testimony, basing his objection on the confidential nature of the conversations between the president and the vice president. Trump again tried to use this legal tactic to block the testimony of other participants in the federal investigation. Now the special counsel must decide whether to recommend that the Justice Department impeach Trump, with the attorney general having the final say.

However, Pence’s agenda could prove fatal to the former Indiana governor’s presidential ambitions. “It’s hard to imagine being the adult in the room and upholding law and order and refusing to testify,” the former White House official said. “He should look law-abiding and responsible. Otherwise, he will lose his reputation,” says Vin Weber, a former Republican official. The former vice president has set up a campaign team in anticipation of the official announcement of his candidacy, which is expected to take place in the spring. “I think Pence is heavily overrated in the 2024 election. His hopes are low. His campaign is already over, he just doesn’t know it yet,” emphasizes Rick Wilson, founder of the “anti-Trump” Republican organization Lincoln Project. However, polls of Republican voters show Pence ahead of other “early” candidates such as former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is expected to formally announce her candidacy next week.