Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, just lost his appeal, attempting to block ex-Vice President Mike Pence from testifying to a grand jury.
The court ruled that Trump cannot stop the former VP from giving his testimony over the role of the ex-Potus during the Jan. 6 riot.
Former President Donald Trump attends the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 287 mixed martial arts event at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 8, 2023.
Donald Trump Cannot Block Mike Pence From Testifying, Court Rules
According to CNN, former President Trump tried to block his former-VP Pence from proceeding with his supposed testimony, which should discuss their previous conversations. However, he lost his appeal after the court ruled that Pence may proceed to testify.
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to block the subpoena of Pence, asking the former VP to testify against Trump. CNN notes that the court ruling resulted from a unanimous decision among the judges of the DC Circuit. Judges Greg Katsas and Robert Wilkins rejected the appeal of the former POTUS.
As per The Hill, the details of the unanimous decision are still under seal. And as such, the reasoning behind the latest court ruling has yet to be made public.
But despite that, CNBC pointed out that Trump may continue his efforts to block Pence from testifying by bringing it to the Supreme Court. However, it remains to be seen if the ex-POTUS will still go the extra mile to pursue that route. The spokesperson of the former US President has yet to respond to the recent court ruling rejecting his previous appeal.
If Trump appeals the decision of the DC Circuit to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the judiciary may still carry out a different decision. But it might also issue a similar stance as the Court of Appeals. It could potentially go either way.
However, it is worth noting that it is still unclear if Trump plans to extend his bid to block the ex-VP from testifying to the highest court.
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WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 26: Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the Young America's Foundation Student Conference on July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. Pence outlined a conservative agenda and took questions about Taiwan and his relationship with former President Donald Trump.
Trump's Bid to Stop Pence's Testimony
Through his legal team, the former US president appealed the order that asks Pence to testify to the grand jury early this April.
CNBC notes that special counsel Jack Smith has issued a subpoena to Pence, asking the former VP to answer questions regarding the role of Trump during the Jan. 6 riot. Not to mention that he also has to testify about the efforts of the former POTUS to disrupt the 2020 elections.
The former VP says that he will tell the entire truth in accordance with the law as he testifies to the grand jury.
Initially, Pence said he would fight the subpoena that special counsel Smith issued to him. But the federal judge still handed him the order, which the ex-VP did not appeal to the court.
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