Former Vice President Mike Pence denies feeling any pressure from former President Donald Trump to call former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in the aftermath of the 2020 election, according to an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Saturday. The Washington Post had reported that Trump tried to pressure Ducey, a fellow Republican, to overturn the election results in Arizona, which President Joe Biden won by more than 10,000 votes. The Post also stated that Trump urged Pence to call Ducey and find evidence of voter fraud in the state.
Pence confirmed to CBS News that he did call Ducey to discuss the election results but emphasized that there was no pressure involved. He stated that he was simply checking in and providing updates to the president. When asked if Trump had pressured him to change the election results, Pence denied any recollection of such pressure.
Pence clarified that in November and December 2020, he was focused on gathering information and understanding what was happening during the election review process. He emphasized the numerous lawsuits and state reviews that were underway during that time.
In April, Pence testified for more than seven hours before a federal grand jury investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. Despite initially resisting the subpoena by claiming protection under the “speech or debate clause” of the Constitution, a three-judge panel ruled that Pence was required to provide testimony.
Special counsel Jack Smith is leading the investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results. Smith’s team is also handling the federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents. In June, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted Trump on 37 counts related to the sensitive documents found at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The interview with Pence sheds light on his perspective regarding the events following the 2020 election and provides insight into the ongoing investigations surrounding Trump’s actions.