This looks like someone who is afraid to testify.

[bigtree]

VANITY FAIR @VanityFair 2h
Mike Pence seems prepared to do whatever he can to avoid testifying against Donald Trump. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/mike-pence-plans-to-fight-special-counsel-subpoena


Ted Lieu @tedlieu 1h
What is former Vice President @Mike_Pence hiding from the American people?


Joyce Alene @JoyceWhiteVance 5h
Pence is looking really hard for reasons not to testify UNDER OATH & the more he does this, the more you have to wonder.

There is, perhaps, some principled reason to protect executive privilege. That isn't what this is. This looks like someone who is afraid to testify.


Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff 44m
Pence is now claiming the Speech and Debate Clause — meant for senators and members — allows him to avoid testifying about Jan 6.

Just shows the lengths Pence will go to avoid doing his duty and telling the truth.

What a way to launch a presidential campaign.


Staff Sergeant Gonell, Aquilino @SergeantAqGo 3h
If @Mike_Pence is willing to lied about what happened on January 6 despite his boss trying to kill him, what would he lie about if he becomes the president.


Will Saletan @saletan 4h
Trump directs Pence to override Congress’s count of electoral votes.

Pence then refuses a subpoena on the grounds that he’s entitled to the same immunity Congress gets.

Kafkaesque.


Michael R. Bromwich @mrbromwich 11m
Stripped of the legalisms, this is cowardice plain and simple.

Link to tweet

[republianmushroom]

1. pence typical republican politician,

if he was president he would lie like trump did. That is the republican way.

[LakeArenal]

2. Amazing how Hillary Clinton took 11 hours and never avoided or pled the 5th.

[blm]

3. If he refuses to be put under oath to tell the truth, why would anyone

Buy his book if there is no truth in it he’s willing to tell under oath?

[SheltieLover]

4. Kompromat is a powerful motivator!

Qpukes should try living with integrity.

[brooklynite]

12. So is scaring away the Republican base voters

[Irish_Dem]

5. Laws protect the wealthy and powerful. But punish and control the innocent.

[TheRealNorth]

6. It certainly does look that way, doesn't it?

[drray23]

7. no. this looks like someone who knows how to delay

enough that whatever crime is past the statute of limitations or another gop administration is in power, at which point it will go away.
On a state level its working for Ken Paxton who has been indicted for years without any further action.

Pence, Trump and the like are hoping they can achieve the same thing at the federal level.
That delay may also be enough to avoid any further action in the near future because of the upcoming 2024 presidential.
If the DOJ fights it and ultimately forces Pence to testify, I am not sure there will be enough time left before 2024 for them to proceed further and eventually indict. We shall see.

[panader0]

8. If he truthfully testifies under oath, he'll have to incriminate TFG, and lose all

the trump lovers.

[jcgoldie]

9. or...

...someone who desperately wants to give the appearance of trying to defend Trump.

[FakeNoose]

10. It seems that Pence never actually defends Chump

He just does 99 backflips to avoid incriminating him. I'm pretty sure he's scared of what Chump can do, because silly Mike still thinks he has a political career. We all know he doesn't, but that's how the Repukes roll.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Andrew Weisman-Interesting thread on Pence legal argument Re Jack Smith subpoena.

This is a good thread on this issue

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[H2O Man]

13. Recommended.

Thank you for this.

I think Pence recognizes that he is in a very difficult position. Keep in mind that he is convinced that Jesus wants him to be president. One might speculate that this is evidence that Pence is beyond merely projecting Jesus in their own "best potential image," but that he has a tad bit of a messiah complex.

One really can't claim any executive privilege when it comes to answering questions about criminal matters. Pence knows that is all they want to talk with him about. They aren't interested in his tastes in music or food, or with his political ambitions -- though he would be happy to talk to them about these things. They don't want to ask him about the legal things -- few as they were -- that are associated with the Trump administration. Just the crimes.

If Pence were to go in and speak the truth, he would know that the maga crowd his party courted would want to hang him. For he remembers January 6, 2021. He knows a divided republican party will never nominate him in 2024. If he refuses, trying to stretch it out on claims to executive privilege, he'll never be president. Thus, he finds himself in what he considers his own garden of gethsemane.

[DFW]

14. Pence: "I refuse to answer that on grounds that I will.......

...come across as stupid, naïve, dim-witted, and, ummm, oh yeah, guilty as hell of crimes that could put me behind bars for decades. I might not even get to run for president and get my 2% of the vote before I get the hint and drop out!"

[VGNonly]

15. Maybe he thinks by not testifying

that he could someday... just maybe... it could happen... become president some day...