asylum, us authorities are overwhelmed. this is just the latest splash point in a months long surge of people illegally crossing the border. and there's little in the camp for them. you can see the trying to trying to stop getting back in for the come up that they went across to get food. they said, because there isn't enough food for them to be there in the camp. we met nicholas on the mexican bank to the river, searching for food and medicine fees. family. he hadn't realized until we asked him about in the us. authorities. rules are now flying haitians back home. there is no president. crime is high. students can't go to school. there is no work the economy as people can put up with deportation is not good for us. i

i won't come in a few moments will be taking you to the us house of representatives, january 6 committee, which is beginning it's 3rd public hearing of the month. now we expect today's hearing to focus on the role of vice president mike pence in those events surrounding the january 6 insurrection. the 1st witness will be one of the former vice president's top aides thinking washington d. c, where the committee chair, congressman benny thompson, is about to call this session into order. alright, actually what we're going to do because that's that still in play scenes. let's instead go now to heidi joe castro, she's joining us now from washington, dc. and, and heidi while that warming up that take us through, we can expect sammy, as you said, this is all going to focus on the role of former vice president pence. and the

pressure that he faced under trump and under trump's aids. his refusal to go along with a plan to delay the certification of trump's electoral loss, and then the in suing danger that pants faced from the mob that descended on the capital on january 6th. so who will we be hearing these details from? as you said, it's going to be among tenses tot aids, his chief legal counsel. greg jacob will be here in person, getting testimony as. and we will also be hearing video clip from the take the deposition of pens, his former chief of staff, mark short. and these 2 men are expected to detail this plan that trump embraced, which was hatched by one of his attorneys. and we'll see if that has been to describe as a blueprint for a coup sammy. all right, we're going to leave it there and let's go and listen in now because that hearing is starting

the select committee to investigate january thinks of tech on a united states capital would be an order. without objection, the chairs authorized to declare the committee in recess at any point, but so into house deposition authority, regulation 10, the chair analysis, the committees approval to release the deposition material represent at dawn, today's hearing. good afternoon. this is almost no idea more on american then the notion that any one person could choose the american president no idea more on american. i agree with that, which is unusual because former vice president mike pence and i don't agree on much

these are his words spoken a few months ago about donald trump said tim to pressure the form of vice president, pressure him into going along with an unlawful and unconstitutional scheme to overturn the 2020 election and give donald trump a 2nd term in office that he did not win to day. the select committee is going to reveal the details of that pressure campaign. but what does the vice president of the united states even have to do with the presidential election? the constitution faith that the vice president of the united states overseas, the process of counting the electoral college votes, a process that took place on january 6, 2021. don trump wanted make pins to do something. no other vice

president has ever done the form of president warren it pants to reject the votes and either declare trap the winner, our sand boats back to the states to be counted again. mike pence said no. he resisted the pressure. he knew it was the legal. he knew it was wrong. we are fortunate for mr. pence, his courage. on january 6th, our democracy came dangerously close to catastrophe. their courage put him in tremendous danger. when mike pierce made it clear that he wouldn't give a entered down france skeen down front turned a mob on him. a mob there was chanting. ang, my tense, a mob that had built a hangman's gallows just outside the capital. thanks in part to my

parents, our democracy withstood donald trump's scheme and the violence of january 6. but a danger hasn't receded there by my colleague mister aguilar to day, we'll lay out the facts for the american people. but 1st, i'll recognize my collie for wyoming. miss cheney, for any opening statement she cared offer. thank you very much mister chairman. let me take just a few minutes today to put the topic of our hearing in broader context. in our last hearing, we heard unequivocal testimony. the president trump was told his election fraud allegations were complete. nonsense. we heard this from members of the trump campaign. we heard this from president trump campaign lawyers. we heard this from president trump's former attorney general bill bar. we heard this from president trump's former acting attorney general,

jeff rosen. and we heard this from president trump's former acting deputy attorney general richard donahue. we heard from members of president trump's white house staff as well. today we're focusing on president trump's relentless effort to pressure mike pants to refuse to count electoral votes on january 6th. here again is how the former vice president phrased it in a speech before the federalist society. a group of conservative lawyers are this way. the president trump said i have the right to overturn the election. the president trump is wrong. i had no right to overturn the election. the presidency belongs to the american people and the american people alone. and frankly, there is no ideal more on america than the notion that a one person could choose. the american president what the president wanted,

the vice president to do was not just wrong. it was the illegal and unconstitutional. we will hear many details in today's hearing, but please consider these 2 points. first, president trump was told repeatedly that mike hands lacked the constitutional and legal authority to do what president trump was demanding. he do this. his testimony from mark short, the vice president, chief of staff who served in the trump administration in multiple positions over 4 years. but just to pick up on, i'm sure he was in your impression with the vice president directly conveyed his position on these issues to the president matches to the world through of your colleague letter, but directly to present trump many times and had been consistent in conveying his position to crush, very consistent. ok. but president trump plotted with the lawyer named john eastman

to pressure pence to do so. anyway. as the federal court has explained, quote, based on the evidence, the court finds that it is more likely than not that president trump and dr. eastman dis, honestly conspired to obstruct the joint session of congress on january 6th, 2021. what exactly did president trump know when exactly did president trump know that it would be illegal for mike pence to refuse to count electoral votes? here is one sample of testimony given by one of the witnesses before us to day. the vice president general counsel the john eastman ever admit, or you know, in front of the president at his proposal was like do i talk art i, i believe he did on forced that was january 4th,

2 days before the attack on congress. a 2nd point, please listen to testimony today about all of the ways that president trump attempted to pressure vice president. hence, including donald trump's tweet at $224.00 p. m, condemning vice president mike pence. when president trump already knew a violent riot was underway at the capital. in future hearings, you will hear from witnesses who were present inside the white house who were present inside the west wing on that day. but to day we focus on the earnest efforts of mike pence, who was determined to abide by his oath of office. as vice president pence prepared his statement on january 5th and 6th, explaining that he could not illegally refuse to count electoral votes. he said this to his staff and the vice president said this, we do work in state the state. and she really wanted to make

sure that it was josh. you will here to day that president from white house council believed that the vice president did exactly the right thing on january 6th. as did others in the white house. as did fox news host, sean hannity, vice president pence understood that his oath of office was more important than his loyalty to donald trump. he did his duty, president trump, unequivocally did not. thank you mister chairman, i yield back. without objection, i recognised a gentleman from california, mister aguilar for an opening st. thank you mister chairman. to day we intend to show the american people that january 6th was not an isolated incident in the weeks culminating before it was a legal scheme and deception. we've already learned that president trump knew he

lost the 2020 election. shortly after he began to look for a way to circumvent our country's most fundamental civic tradition. the peaceful transfer of power. the president latched on to a dangerous theory and would not let go. because he was convinced it would keep him in office. we witnessed firsthand what happened when the president of the united states weaponized this theory. the capital was overrun, police officers lost their lives. and the vice president was taken to a secure location because his safety was in jeopardy. let's take a look at the effect of donald trump's words and actions. i want to warn our audience that the video contains explicit content. my cache is gonna have to come through for us and if he doesn't, that will be

a sad day for our country. and my friends, i hope you're going to stand up for the good of our constitution and for the good of our country. and if you're not going to be very disappointed you, i will tell you right now i'm telling you what i'm hearing that bit. i hear in a pinch just gave no. is it true? i think i'm hearing reports the pants. k. no, i'm telling you it paints k. we're going to drag motherfuckers through the streets . you fucking politicians are going to get fucking drug through the streets. i guess the hope is that there's such a show of force here that fence will decide to do the right thing according from oh, oh oh hi,

how did we get to this point? how did we get to the point where president trump's most radical supporters let a violent attack on the capital and threatened to hang president trump's own vice president? you'll hear from witnesses that donald trump pressured mike pence to adopt a legally and morally bankrupt idea that the vice president could choose who the next president can be. you'll hear about how the vice president, the white house council and others told donald trump that the vice president had no such authority. the president, trump would not listen. you'll hear how vice president pence was stood on slot of pressure from president trump both publicly and privately. a pressure campaign built to a fever pitch with a heated phone call on january 6th. you'll also hear that the president knew there was a violent mob. it's capital. when he tweeted at 224 p. m,

that the vice president did not have the quote courage to do what needed to be done . let me be clear. vice president pence did the right thing that day. he stayed true to his oath, to protect and defend the constitution. i look forward to hearing from our witnesses this afternoon. mister chairman, i yield back. bank must aguilar. we are honored to have 2 distinguished witnesses who advise vice president regarding his role on january 6th. judge michael luke is one of the leading conservative legal thinkers in the country . he served in administrations of president ronald reagan and george h. w bush. he was appointed by the latter to serve on a u. s. court of appeals for the 4th circuit where he served from 1991 to 2006. he provided

a critical advice for vice president 10th regarding an a role or the vice president in the joint session of congress. shortly before that fateful moment. he has written that the vice president does not have the power to select the next president of the united states. he's also written that contract that contrary theory espoused by one of his own former law clerks, was, quote, incorrect. at every turn. we also joined to day by one of the people who was with vice president pants on january 6th grade jacob was counsel to vice president pants. he conducted a thorough analysis of the role of the vice president in a joint session of congress under the constitution, the electoral count at an 230 years of historical practice. but he also has 1st hand information about the attack on the capital. because he lived

through it, he was with by the vice president and his own life was in danger. our now swear in our witnesses, the witnesses will please stand and raise their right hand. you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony you're about to give is the truth old truth and nothing but the truth. so help you god. i think you may see let the record reflect the witnesses answered in the affirmative. announce, recognize myself for questions in the united states, the people choose our representatives, including the highest official in the land, the president of the united states. the american people did this on november 3rd,

2020. but president trump did not like the outcome. he did everything he could to change the result of the election. he tried litigation 6 the 2 cases in fact. and that failed. he tried to press your state legislatures to reverse the results of the election in their states. but they refused. he tried to enlist the department of justice in his efforts to overturn election results. but officials leading the department refused to comply for eventually he latched on to a completely nonsensical and anti democratic theory. that one man, his own vice president, could determine the outcome of the election. he wanted the vice president to unilaterally. so lead the president. this theory that the vice president could unilaterally select, the president,

runs completely contrary to our constitution, our laws and the entirety of american experience. but that didn't stop. it didn't matter to president trump. i would now like to explore how president trump came to latch own, to this ridiculous legal theory that the vice president can select, the president of the united states. this a jacob, how did this theory 1st come to your attention? the 1st time that i had a conversation with the vice president about the 12th amendment and the electoral count act was in early december. around december 7th, the vice president called me over to his west wing office and told me that he had been seeing and reading things that suggested that he had

a significant role to play. on january 6. in announcing the outcome of the election, he told me that he had been 1st elected to congress in 2000. and one of his earliest memories as a congressman was sitting in on the 2001 certification. and he recalled that al gore had gathered down a number of objections that had been raised to florida. and he asked me mechanically, how does this work at the joint session? what are the rules? and i told the vice president that in fact, i had a fairly good idea of how things work. but actually there aren't rules that govern the joint session. but what there is, is a provision of the constitution that is just one sentence long. and then an electoral count act that had been passed in 1887, and i told the vice president that i could put a memo together for him over night that would explain the applicable rules.

so mr. jacob, when you looked at the spirit, what did you conclude? so, we concluded that what you have is a sentence in the constitution that is in artfully drafted. but the vice president's 1st instinct when he heard this theory was that there was no way that our framers who aboard concentrated power, who had broken away from the tyranny of george. the 3rd would ever have put one person, particularly not a person who had a direct interest in the outcome because they were on the ticket for the election in a role to have decisive impact on the outcome of the election. and i review of text history. ah, and frankly just common sense all confirmed the vice president's 1st instinct on

that point there is no justifiable basis to conclude that the vice president has that kind of authority. thank you mr. jacobs. we will hear more today about how, despite this conclusion, by you and other top legal advisors, the former president use this discredited beard and his campaign to pressure the vice president to decide the outcome of the presidential election. and now recognized the gentlewoman from wyoming. this chain of questions. thank you very much mister chairman. gentle loaded. thank you as well for being here with us today . m u m. i issued a very important statement earlier today, which i urge all americans to read. and i'd like to ask you judge about one of the sentences in your statement and ask if you could explain to us the significance of it. you say had the vice president of the united states obeyed the president of the

united states. america would immediately have been plunged into what would have been tantamount to a revolution within a paralyzing constitutional crisis. could you elaborate on that for us? judge? thank you room. madam wise chair. mm hm. that that passage in my statement this morning. oh, referenced the most foundational concept in america, which is the rule of law. thus, as i interpret your question, you're asking about, ah,

that foundational truth of these united states, which we call america. the foundational truth is the rule of law. that foundational truth is for the united states of america the profound truth, but it's not merely the profound truth for the united states. it's all so the

simple truth. the simple foundational truth of the american republic. thus, in my view of the hearing is being conducted by the this select committee are examining that profound truth, namely the rule of law in the united states of america. the specific question of course, before you in before the nation, not before me is whether

that foundational rule of law was supremely violated. on january 6, 2021. now to the question specifically that you asked madame vice chair. i believe that had vice president pence o bay the orders from his president and the president of the united states of america during the joint session of the congress, the united states on january 6,

2021 and declared donald trauma. the next president of the united states. notwithstanding that then president trump had lost the electoral college vote, as well as the popular vote in the 2020 presidential election. ah, that declaration of donald trump as the next president would have plunged america into what i believe would have been tantamount to

a revolution within a constitutional crisis in america, which in my view and i am only one man, would have been the 1st constitutional crisis. since the founding of the republic, thank you very much judge. i'm for your solemn attention to these issues and, and for your appearance here to day. we're going to describe and discuss in detail ah, what happened and, and, and as we do, i'm gonna describe

a few of the details. now. i'm of some of the actions taken. ah, by a gentleman named kenneth cheese. boro, i, after the, an electoral college met. i and caster votes on december 14th. i'm the actually the day before they met kenneth cheese bro, sent a memo to rudy giuliani. the president's lead outside counsel mister cheese burrow robes to mayor giuliani, that the vice president is charged with quote, making judgements about what to do if there are conflicting boats. close quote. mister cheese burrow, wrote that when the joint session of congress got to arizona in the alphabetical list of states, the vice president should not count the binding boats quote, because there are 2 slates of votes. his justification, which we will learn more about and our next hearing was that a group of trump,

supporters in arizona and other swing states, decided to proclaim themselves the true electors for the state. creating 2 sets of electors. the official electors selected by the state and a group of fake electors. this document was ordered to be produced to the select committee by a federal district court judge. as you will see on the screen shortly, judge david carter wrote, quote, the draft memo pushed to strategy that knowingly violated the electoral count act. the judge concluded that quote, the memo is both intimately related to and clearly advanced the plan to obstruct the joint session of congress on january 6th, 2021. a few days later, professor john eastman took up. this cause eastman was at the time a law professor at.