Mike Pence presents "incriminating evidence" against Donald Trump

Former Vice President Mike Pence's close proximity to Donald Trump during the Capitol attack makes him an important witness.

Update April 28, 3:40 p.m.:

Former Vice President Mike Pence's testimony before the grand jury will likely be the "most incriminating evidence any witness can present against Donald Trump," said legal analyst Glenn Kirschner.

In an episode of his Justice Matters podcast, Kirschner explained that Pence's testimony against the former president will likely bring the Justice Department a big step closer to indicting Trump.

Donald Trump Pence pressured again and again.

"If you don't break the law (...) if you don't help me retain the power of the presidency, then four years ago I made the wrong decision when I chose you as my vice president," Trump told Pence have said.

Mike Pence testifies against Donald Trump

First report from April 28, 2023, 8:37 a.m.:

Washington – What Donald Trump, former President of the USA, wanted to prevent at all costs has now happened: In the course of the investigation into the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, the former US -Vice President Mike Pence testified.

US media reported that the 63-year-old spoke in front of a grand jury for seven hours.

Meanwhile, Trump, who plans to return to the White House in 2024, made an appearance in front of supporters in New Hampshire.

Pence's court appearance is a moment of constitutional importance and potential legal danger for the former president.

Pence is considered a key witness in the criminal investigation into Trump.

Pence's statements about his talks with Trump leading up to the attack could provide elementary insights for special counsel Jack Smith.

Ex-President Trump went to court to prevent his former deputy from being questioned.

However, an appeals court refused to block the questioning.

Pence himself finally agreed to testify at the beginning of April - but only after a judge had obliged him to do so.

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Former US Vice President Mike Pence.

© DREW ANGERER/afp

Trump had asked Pence not to recognize the outcome of the election

Radical Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to prevent the formal certification of Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.

Pence, in his role as Senate President, chaired the parliamentary session to confirm Biden's election victory that day.

Trump had repeatedly asked his vice president to stop confirming the outcome of the election.

Pence refused at the time, saying he didn't have the authority to do so.

This led to a disagreement between the two politicians.

The attack on the Capitol with five fatalities shook the USA and is considered a black day in the history of US democracy.

Trump had previously spread the false claim for weeks that he had been deprived of a second term through massive election fraud.

Shortly before the Capitol was stormed, the right-wing populist called on his supporters in a speech to march to the Capitol and fight "whatever the hell".

January 6, 2021 - the storming of the Capitol in pictures

January 6, 2021 - the storming of the Capitol in pictures

Pence said in mid-March Trump's reckless words put his family and everyone in the Capitol in danger that day.

"And I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable," Pence said.

He was also the only person to have one-on-one meetings with Trump the day before the Capitol attack and the day after.

Investigators from the House Special Committee of Jan. 6 last year concluded there was a conspiracy of which the former president had at least prior knowledge.

Donald Trump: Several procedures against the ex-president are running

Special Counsel Smith is not only examining Trump's possible criminal responsibility for the attack on the Capitol.

He also deals with numerous secret documents that Trump took from the White House to his private estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, at the end of his term in office.

In a separate trial, Trump was the first ex-president in US history to be indicted at the end of March for paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump meanwhile on campaign tour

Despite the numerous legal proceedings, Trump wants to retake the White House in the 2024 presidential election.

Pence is considered a potential rival in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

The arch-conservative politician has not yet announced an application.

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Donald Trump at a campaign event in New Hampshire.

© SPENCER PLATT/afp

On Thursday, Trump gave a speech to around 1,500 supporters in Manchester, in the US east coast state of New Hampshire.

On November 5, 2024, incumbent Joe Biden will be defeated, said the 76-year-old.

US citizens have "the choice between strength or weakness, success or failure, security or anarchy, and between peace and conflict."

The 80-year-old incumbent, Biden, said on Tuesday that he would run again in next year's presidential election.

He later declared that Trump was a "danger to our democracy".

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List of rubrics: © DREW ANGERER/afp