‘It’s a Big Deal!’ CNN’s Chris Wallace Weighs in on Pence Testifying For 5 Hours Against Trump in Criminal Probe

CNN anchor Chris Wallace weighed in on former VP Mike Pence testifying against ex-President Donald Trump in the criminal January 6 probe, calling it “a big deal!”

On Thursday, Pence testified for more than five hours before the Special Counsel Jack Smith-led Justice Department probe into Trump’s conduct surrounding the January 6 insurrection and the 2020 election.

Wallace was a guest on Friday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning to talk about the news of the day, as well as to promote the new season of the HBO Max and CNN series Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace.

Co-anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Wallace what he made of Pence’s time in the hot seat, and co-anchor Audie Cornish asked what effect it would have on Pence’s 2024 chances:

KAITLAN COLLINS: Pence from testifying in the special counsel Jack Smith’s probe. Pence himself also resisted the subpoena until a judge ordered him to comply with more on Pence’s historic testimony. The first vice president in modern times to testify about the president he served with. We are joined this morning by Chris Wallace, CNN anchor and the host of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace was a very interesting interview, Erin, tonight that we’re going to talk about in a moment. But, Chris, you know, obviously, you interviewed Trump. You’ve interviewed Pence. What do you make of the fact that Pence is going behind closed doors, speaking with investigators for over 5 hours about January 6th?

CHRIS WALLACE: Well, it’s a big deal! Because Pence was able to take the grand jurors directly into the Oval Office, into the discussions that the vice president had with the then president about, one, the idea of false electors and more importantly, what was supposed to happen and then eventually did happen on January 6th, was that the vice president, in his role as the president of the Senate, was going to preside over the counting of electoral votes and the certification of Joe Biden as the next president.

Donald Trump wanted him to find some way to throw out those votes, to delay those votes to allow the false electors votes to be counted. Pence, of course, refused. But you’re going to have direct testimony from Mike Pence about the conversation that went on between him and Donald Trump. I think there are a couple of things that are important. One, it’s the closest you’re going to get to what was, what Donald Trump said and more importantly, what was in his mind, because they have to find criminal intent. And I think also it just shows exactly what was going on with Donald Trump. What exactly was his motive in trying to get Mike Pence to block the certification on January 6th in the House of Representatives.

AUDIE CORNISH: He was also a fairly reluctant witness. Right. I mean, he’s going there. He’s already said publicly he doesn’t think the president did anything illegal. So how is he managing this against his 2024 run against Trump?

CHRIS WALLACE: Well, that’s tough. I mean, you’re asking a legal question and a political question, Audie, in terms of the political question. Pence has already got a tough situation because on the one hand, he likes to talk about the Trump Pence administration and to take at least partial credit for all of the things that they did during those four years that a lot of Trump supporters like. But on the other hand, if you were in court, and he was an unwilling witness, as you say, and it certainly to a lot of Trump MAGA supporters, it’s going to be seen as a betrayal. So so that’s a, that’s a very tough road for Mike Pence to walk. And it’s one of the reasons that you see him at single digits in the polls right now.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.