Select Committee Hearing #3

The third televised Select Committee hearing was all about Mike Pence and featured two very conservative witnesses, Greg Jacob, Mike Pence’s White House counsel, and retired federal judge and active member of the Federalist Society, Michael Luttig, an icon in the conservative movement who was on the short list for the Supreme Court under George W. Bush.

Greg Jacob testified that John Eastman, engineer of the plan to steal the election, admitted to Trump on January 4, 2021 that the pressure campaign to get Pence to declare him the winner was unconstitutional and against the law. Eastman also admitted that even though Al Gore didn’t have a basis to overturn the election results in 2000 and Kamala Harris shouldn’t be able to do it in 2024, they should go ahead and do it now. Eastman laid out two theories on how Pence could overturn the election. One, he could just reject electors outright. Two, he could declare a 10 day recess and send slates back to the “disputed” states that had fake electors already lined up.

Eastman knew that his plan was illegal and that the Supreme Court wouldn’t go for it. He admitted that he knew that even if he got the Supreme Court to hear his case, he would have lost 9–0 but went ahead with his unconstitutional plan anyway.

Judge Luttig spoke very slowly and deliberately because he knew he was speaking to history and wanted to get everything just right. He said we were in a constitutional crisis. Bottom line was he wanted people to pay attention to what was going on because he believes the country would be in clear and present danger if Trump runs again. “There was no basis in the constitution or the laws of the United States at all for the theory espoused by Mr. Eastman at all. None.” He’s stating the obvious to those who have been following this closely but to those who revere him, this might shake something loose and get them to realize they’ve been under a spell.

Trump knew Pence couldn’t decide the election but he pressured him privately and publicly anyway. He convinced his followers that Pence had the power to decide the election and that he had betrayed him. He put pressure on his followers to put pressure on Pence to “do the right thing.”

Pence told Trump over and over that there was no legal basis for what he was asking him to do.

Greg Jacob said that if Eastman didn’t back off that the election would be decided in the streets.

While the Capitol was under attack, Greg Jacob sent Eastman an email, “Thanks to your bullshit we are now under siege.”

When the Select Committee deposed Eastman, he pleaded the fifth 100 times. He asked for a pardon but Trump wouldn’t give him one.

Trump pressured Eastman to push for the unilateral power of the vice president to overturn the election and Eastman, knowing full well it was illegal and wrong, pushed for it in public, echoing Trump’s wishes, and helped spark the attack on the Capitol. Trump and Eastman pressured Pence to help Trump overthrow democracy and remain in power.

Rioters admitted they would have killed Pence and Pelosi if they had had the chance. Pence and his team came within 40 feet of the rioters inside the Capitol on their way out. It was that close. When the mob chanted, “HANG MIKE PENCE!” they really meant it.

The Select Committee invited Ginni Thomas to come in and talk to them AGAIN and the DOJ told the committee, once again that they really, REALLY want to see what they’ve got.

Republicans are upset that the Select Committee hearings are taking attention away from their caravans headed for the border.