Mike Pence just leaked that Donald Trump and his impeachment lawyers are lying
When Kevin McCarthy leaked this evening that Trump taunted him on the phone while the Capitol attack was underway, we took it as a sign that Republicans were truly worried about how poorly impeachment is going for Trump, and that they’re now looking to at least incrementally distance themselves from him. Now a much bigger shoe has dropped.
Just now a “source close” to Mike Pence has informed respected CNN reporter Jim Acosta that Trump’s legal team is “lying” about Trump not having known Pence’s life was in danger during the attack. This is huge, because a leak of this type doesn’t happen unless Pence himself wants it out there.
Pence may be too much of a coward to testify at the trial himself, or to speak publicly, but it’s a big deal that he’s now leaking that Trump lied about it. First, Pence is blowing up the Trump legal team’s entire argument in the court of public opinion. Second, this is the kind of thing that will end up being evidence at Trump’s eventual criminal trial.
So why is Mike Pence leaking this tonight? Either he’s genuinely pissed off that Trump is lying about having known Pence’s life was in danger, or Pence has simply decided that he wants to distance himself from the attack because Trump is clearly circling the drain.
Now comes the question of whether this will have any immediate impact. Earlier this evening, before the Mike Pence leak, reports were that five to ten Republican Senators were seriously considering voting to convict Trump. But the Pence leak will give an excuse for additional Republican Senators to feel safe in convicting Trump, if they want it. Either way, it’s more clear than ever that Trump will end in prison for this, whether he’s convicted in his impeachment trial or not.
