Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks about border security at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca NobleFormer U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks about border security at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble
The certification had become a focus for Trump, who saw it as a last-ditch chance to retain the presidency despite his loss at the polls. His supporters flocked to Washington to rally with Trump, who had made repeated false claims that the election was stolen through widespread voting fraud. They stormed the Capitol, attacked police and sent Pence and lawmakers fleeing for their safety.
Had Pence obeyed, according to Luttig’s testimony, the country would have been plunged into a “revolution within a paralyzing constitutional crisis.” Committee aides said the hearing will examine the emergence of a plan advocated by Trump associates including attorney John Eastman that Pence could unilaterally reject certified electors from certain states where results had been challenged. Pence refused to accept that theory.