Schiff applauds Pence’s intent to testify before Jan. 6 panel

US Representative Adam Schiff says he is encouraged by Mike Pence's recent comments that the former vice president is willing to consider testifying before the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, violent protest march that left at least five people dead.

Schiff, a Democrat, is a member of the House select committee that intends to put up a case against former President Donald Trump that he was responsible for the January 6 riot, starting with knowingly spreading lies around the election, seeking to overturn the results, assembling the mob in the Capitol and failing to act to stop the violence.

The committee is trying to build a case that Trump's efforts to overturn his defeat amounted to illegal conduct, far beyond normal politics.

"I was encouraged to hear it and I hope it meant what it sounded like it meant. We have been in discussion with the (former) vice president's counsel for some time," Schiff said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.

Pence has said he thinks Trump was wrong to believe the former vice president had the power to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election.

Schiff said on Sunday: "He (Pence) knows of our interest in having him come before us, and I am confident that if he is truly willing, there is a way to work out any executive privilege or separation of powers issues."

Pence said on Wednesday he would consider testifying before the House panel if asked but added later that he also considered the January 6 committee to have "a partisan taint."

Trump has maintained that he lost the election only because of widespread fraud that benefited Biden. Trump and his supporters denounce the January 6 panel as a political witch hunt.

Trump: Mike Pence missed a chance ‘to be great’ on Jan. 6, 2021

Former US President Donald Trump said his vice president, Mike Pence, had a chance to be great, a chance to be historic on January 6, 2021, but he missed it because he lacked courage.

Trump claimed that he won the 2020 presidential election and that there was "massive" voter fraud. The former president claimed that he ordered 10,000 National Guard troops to protect the Capitol.

The certification vote on January 6 had become a focus for Trump.  On January 6, 2021, Trump's supporters occupied the US Capitol while lawmakers were in the process of reviewing the certification of state electors which indicated Biden's victory. Some Trump supporters had hoped that this process could have resulted in some of the electors being disqualified, thus overturning the outcome of the presidential election.

It is claimed by some that the demonstrators were infiltrated and incited by provocateurs from US intelligence agencies, who orchestrated the “false flag operation” in order to get rid of Trump.

Some among the crowd clashed with police, and some made threats to beat up a number of Democratic lawmakers. Some also inflicted damage on parts of the Capitol building.

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