Did Trump Try to Get Pence Killed?

Conversations between Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the past several days could be revelatory as to whether or not Trump tried to get Pence killed. And we may learn about this in the future. In the meantime, we now have some evidence indicating that Trump may purposely have tried to get Pence killed.

Just prior to the assault on the nation’s Capitol last Wednesday, Trump in prior days had called on his supporters to attend a March to Save America near the Capitol. Thousands did and Trump spoke for nearly an hour. In that speech, he threatened his vice president, Mike Pence, who had been his constant sycophant throughout his four-year presidency until Pence split from Trump when Trump started demanding that the November election was a fraud and trying to get the voting results overturned.

Trump kept griping constantly for weeks and weeks that the election had been stolen from him without any evidence to prove it. It is now being called “the big lie.” Trump and his supporters during this time filed about 60 lawsuits to try to get the results of the election overturned. And all of these lawsuits failed except one which granted a menial issue that was irrelevant to the vote count. Moreover, all fifty states certified their election results. Thus, in the popular (total) vote count, Biden had won about 7 million more votes than Trump had. But more importantly, Biden had won more than the required 270 votes in the Electoral College: actually Biden 306 and Trump 232.

Eventually, Trump realized he could not succeed in overturning the election result. So he turned to what he must have considered his last resort: getting Vice President Mike Pence to reject the states’ results on the day of certification, January 6th while meeting with Congress and declare Trump the winner.

Days prior, when Trump demanded of Pence that he do that, Pence replied correctly that there is nothing in the Constitution that provides for him to do such a thing, which actually would be in itself an attempt to overthrow of the government of the United States by rejecting the right of the peoples to their vote. Thus, it was a stupid and nonsensical request. And when Pence refused with this remark, Trump reportedly grew angrier and angrier at Pence as the days proceeded toward the historic and traditional day of election certification, which was to occur last Wednesday but got disrupted so that it happened early Thursday.

So, as the day of certification grew near, Trump began tweeting, calling on his base to show up in Washington on certification day, saying it will be “wild.”

When the day arrived, Trump alleged in that speech, “give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.” He told them they needed to “fight” to get back the country, meaning keep him as president. Much of the crowd would take these words literally, and I believe that is how Trump meant them.

Trump also said in that Wednesday speech, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.” He further said, “I hope Mike is gonna do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so, because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.” The obvious implication of these words to the ginned up crowd that includes many violent people is that if Mike Pence doesn’t “do the right thing,” Mike Pence needs to go, meaning be killed.

The assault on the Capitol occurred soon after Congress had begun its proceedings to certify the election. Trump had planned his rally purposely at that moment, so that he would then tell the crowd to march on the Capitol right when Pence was speaking to Congress to certify the election. And that’s what happened. The assault immediately disrupted the congressional proceedings. Nearly all members of Congress began trying to shelter in place. Some, including Mike Pence and his wife, were escorted into secret chambers that were more safe.

Trump purposely had ginned up the crowd, telling them to march on the Capitol and that he would join them. But like the great big liar that he is, the crowd marched off to the Capitol and Trump marched off to the White House to do his favorite thing–watch television that is about him and politics. He reportedly was gleeful watching the rioters storm the Capitol, which began at about 2 PM ET. Trump’s aids with him there became alarmed, watching the same on TV, seeing the mob violence. Many of them, including his chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, another Trump sycophant, pleaded with President Trump to get on TV and call off the mob. He refused time and time again.

He could have phoned Mike Pence, who was fearful for his life. The mob had been yelling as it stormed the Capitol, “Hang Mike Pence, Hang Mike Pence, Hang Mike Pence.” They also yelled, “Where’s Mike Pence,” indicating they wanted to capture him. All of us watching telecasts of these proceeding at that very time, or watched them at a later time, could hear the chants. Someone had even brought a noose for the purpose of literally hanging Pence. It is was one of many things providing evidence that much of the mob assault was planned by the rioters days in advance.

Yet Trump never phoned Mike Pence during that assault to inquire about his safety. In fact, Donald Trump never phoned Mike Pence the rest of the day, and the next day, and the next day. Donald Trump didn’t care at all about Mike Pence’s safety. Rather, Donald Trump had planned this assault on the nation’s Capitol. He purposely stirred up the crowd to that end. In his speech last Wednesday, Trump speaking about Mike Pence, pressuring him, trying to scare the hell out of him for the purpose of trying to get him to overturn the election, and if he didn’t, Trump was purposely stirring up the crowd to march on the Capitol and GET MIKE PENCE. In fact, one member of the mob had even brought a noose for that purpose. Thus, when the mob kept yelling, “Hang Mike Pence,” they meant it literally.

We may find out soon when the U.S. Senate meets to debate whether or not to convict President Trump of impeachment and perhaps hear witnesses. Will Mike Pence testify?

So, did Trump try to get Pence killed? I think so, What do you think?