Cheney says she wants Pence to testify to Jan. 6 panel
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Republican Rep. Liz Cheney says she hopes former Vice President Mike Pence will testify before the House Jan. 6 committee soon, according to a new interview.
Why it matters: Pence was in the Capitol during the insurrection and faced death threats for resisting then-President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Pence has yet to testify before the committee, even though many of his aides have done so.
What she's saying: Cheney, the panel's vice chair, told ABC News that the committee has "been in discussions" with Pence's legal team about him potentially testifying in the near future.
- "I would hope that he will do that," Cheney said, according to ABC News.
- Cheney said she understands Pence has expressed concerns over executive privilege.
- "I believe in executive privilege. I think it matters," she said. "But I also think that when the country has been through something, as grave as this was, everyone who has information has an obligation to step forward."
Background: The interview comes on the heels of Cheney — once a powerful House Republican — losing her primary in Wyoming, where a candidate endorsed by Trump won by a large margin.
- The former president turned on Cheney after she voted to impeach him last year.
The big picture: Pence said at an event at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire this week that he would consider testifying "if there was an invitation to participate."
- "You've heard me mention the Constitution a few times this morning. [Through] the Constitution, we have three co-equal branches of government and any invitation that would be directed to me, I would have to reflect on that," he said.
- "It would be unprecedented in history for a vice president to be summoned to testify on Capitol Hill [...] But as I said, I don't want to prejudge. If ever any formal invitation [is] rendered to us, we'd give it due consideration," Pence said.
Go deeper: Liz Cheney plans to go national
