‘Almost a certainty’ Mike Pence is flipping on Donald Trump, legal analyst warns

The possibility that the former vice president mike pence take the opposite position donald trump in the Department of Justice(DOJ) election interference case is “high” and “almost a certainty” after dropping out of the 2024 Republican presidential primary race, legal analyst Danny Cevallos said Sunday.

The DOJ indicted Trump in August on four criminal charges under special counsel jack smithThe former president’s investigation into the former president’s efforts to nullify the 2020 presidential election, which culminated in the January 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol, when a group of his supporters violently protested over the election results in a failed effort to block the president’s confirmation of Congress. Joe Bidenthe victory of The former president has claimed, without evidence, that the election was stolen through widespread electoral fraud, and has maintained his innocence in the case.

Meanwhile, Pence was among the crowd of candidates seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, all of whom have struggled against Trump’s overwhelming electoral strength and his re-election bid. Pence, in particular, struggled mightily, garnering only single-digit support from likely Republican voters. His problems were attributed by some to his unpopularity with independents and moderates republicans for its association with the Trump administrationi among MAGA republicans for his refusal to accept Trump’s attempts to overturn the election.

“It’s become clear to me that this is not my time,” Pence said during his speech Saturday at the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference. “I have decided to suspend my campaign for the presidency effective today. We always knew it would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets.”

While speaking MSNBC on Sunday, Cevallos was asked about the likelihood of Pence taking a stand against his former boss. He replied, “High almost certainly.”

“I think when he was opposing subpoenas in the past, he was doing it symbolically. He was really just putting on a front,” Cevallos said. “If I was speaking frankly behind closed doors, I was probably saying, ‘OK, we have to argue against the subpoena, just for show, just for my candidacy.’ But secretly, I can’t wait to get in. there and testify against the guy who put this tremendous fear into me and many other people congress on that fateful day now more than a year ago'”.

“I don’t think there’s much of an impediment to Mike Pence coming forward to testify,” the legal analyst continued. “There’s absolutely nothing stopping him now.”

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said Newsweek Sunday, “Pence has already disavowed Trump and will be the star witness in the voter fraud cases. Pence was the target of the fraudulent voter scheme, has already testified before the grand jury and has publicly said he told Trump . that what he and his lawyers wanted to do was unconstitutional.”

He added: “Pence’s withdrawal from the presidential race does not change his role as a witness in the cases. In fact, it probably makes it easier for him to testify without worrying about alienating potential voters.”

So did political analyst and law professor Jonathan Turley Newsweek Sunday that “Pence has been consistent since the Jan. 6 riot in his view of the allegations of voter fraud.”

Turley added: “I hope he remains a potential witness. The issue is not the motivation, but the evidence. We don’t know if Pence can reasonably say that Trump knew he lost the election and was actively pursuing claims that he considered unfounded in fact or in law”.

Newsweek A Trump spokesman has been reached for comment by email.

On Saturday, Trump had one message for Pence after news circulated that he was pulling out of the 2024 race.

“Everybody that’s leaving seems to be endorsing me. You know people are leaving, and they’re all endorsing me. I don’t know Mike Pence; he should be endorsing me. He should be endorsing me, you know because what? Because I had a very successful presidency, and he was the vice president. He should support me,” said the former president. “I elected him, I made him vice president, but people in politics can be very disloyal.”

Newsweek several legal analysts have also been contacted for additional comment.