Mike Pence Might Not Testify Before Jan. 6 Committee After All

Former Vice President Mike Pence seemed to show his true colors earlier this month when he confirmed that he would strongly consider testifying under oath before the highly partisan House Jan. 6 panel.

Since then, however, he seems to have given that promise some additional thought and appears to have backtracked on his earlier enthusiasm just a bit.

As Newsmax reported:

Although the former Vice President had recently said he would consider testifying, Pence told The Washington Times over the weekend, “if the committee wanted to extend a formal invitation I would consider it, but we would reflect very carefully on my obligations to preserve the separation of powers and the constitutional framework that I served in.”

Trending: Is Elon Musk Running “Q”?

“I have real concerns about the partisan nature of the Jan. 6 committee,” Pence continued. “By essentially rendering this as a partisan committee that’s operating on a very partisan basis — and at times leaking information and leaking testimony — I think in many respects it has squandered an opportunity to really thoughtfully examine what took place that day and where the failings were.”

Of course, Democrats — and anti-Trump Republicans — on Capitol Hill and in the media are chomping at the bit to secure an interview with Pence.

"I was encouraged to hear it … "@RepAdamSchiff reacts to former Vice President Mike Pence saying he might be available to testify before the January 6 Select Committee if an invitation was extended. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/mNJtFNOluf

— CNN (@CNN) August 21, 2022

Rep. Liz Cheney tells ABC the Jan. 6 Committee has "been in discussions" with Mike Pence's legal team about him potentially testifying in the near future.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 20, 2022

Understanding exactly what led to the January 6 insurrection is more important than anyone’s individual political ambitions. Mike Pence can continue to serve the public by voluntarily cooperating with the Jan. 6 committee as soon as possible. https://t.co/zthFxP8h8h

— Noah Bookbinder (@NoahBookbinder) August 22, 2022

Dear Dan Quayle,
For Pete's sake, please tell Mike Pence to testify.

— Paula Poundstone (@paulapoundstone) August 19, 2022

It’s worth noting that the former vice president still hasn’t ruled out appearing before the House panel, but he does seem to have some legitimate concerns.

Whether he’s hedging his bets to appeal to as many potential voters as possible ahead of a likely presidential bid or he’s actually had a moral awakening remains to be seen.

In any case, his latest remarks show a clear difference in opinion from when he first addressed the issue earlier this month during an appearance in New Hampshire.

As Politico reported at the time:

Former Vice President Mike Pence hasn’t ruled out testifying before the Jan. 6 select committee investigating efforts by his former boss and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

“If there was an invitation to participate, I would consider it,” Pence told a packed room at the New England Council and Saint Anselm College’s “Politics & Eggs” event on Wednesday morning.

“I would have to reflect on the unique role that I was serving as vice president,” Pence continued. “It would be unprecedented in history for the vice president to be summoned to testify on Capitol Hill. But, as I said, I don’t want to prejudge ever any formal invitation rendered to us.”

Here’s a clip from Mike Pence’s response: