Pence would ‘consider’ testifying before Jan. 6 committee
(NewsNation) — Former Vice President Mike Pence would consider testifying in front of the House committee investigating the Jan.6 insurrection if asked to, he said Wednesday at a New Hampshire Breakfast event.
Video from NBC News shows Pence saying that if there was an invitation to participate, he would “consider it,” while adding he’d have to “reflect on the unique role I was serving in as vice president.”
He noted that it would be unprecedented for a vice president to testify before Congress.
Pence made the remarks at a New Hampshire event called “Politics & Eggs,” which, according to USA Today describes itself as a “‘must-stop“ on the presidential campaign trail.
According to The Hill, Pence has made multiple appearances in recent months in early primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina as well. The Des Moines Register says the former vice president is flirting with a presidential run in 2024.
A select committee spokesman declined to comment on Pence’s remarks to CBS News. As the news outlet points out, the committee investigating the Jan.6 attack on the Capitol has heard from multiple aides close to Pence, such as former chief of staff Marc Short and chief counsel Greg Jacob.
Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who sits on the Jan.6 panel, told “Face the Nation” in July that lawmakers are still debating whether to request his testimony.
Pence has been a pivotal figure for those discussing what led up to, and the fallout from, the Jan.6 insurrection after angering Trump supporters by certifying the results of 2020’s presidential election. Some members of the mob of angry Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol that day did so chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!” Trump even called him a “coward” on Twitter, which Rep. Elaine Luria, (D-Virginia) said placed a “target” on the former vice president’s back.
Pence on Wednesday said the American public has a right to know what happened on Jan.6, per The Hill, but criticized the make-up of the committee. He expressed disappointment that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected multiple proposed Republican appointees because they had voted against certifying the election results on Jan. 6.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.