Former Pence aide says DOJ subpoena provides him a ‘security blanket’ ahead of 2024

A former aide to former Vice President Mike Pence said the subpoena that Justice Department (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith issued to him this week gives him a “security blanket” ahead of a potential 2024 presidential bid.

Olivia Troye said in an interview on MSNBC on Saturday that he will have political cover from the subpoena, and thus be able to talk about “what really happened” in the lead-up to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“This is sort of the security blanket that I think Mike Pence has been looking for,” she said. 

Troye noted that Pence would be able to say publicly that he didn’t willingly testify, but was compelled to do so because of legal requirements. However, it’s important to note that the former vice president did not choose to testify before the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection during the past session of Congress. 

Smith, who is investigating both the insurrection and the documents found at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in August, issued the subpoena for documents and testimony from Pence reportedly about the interactions he had with Trump leading up to the 2020 presidential election and the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Trump’s attorneys reportedly plan to appeal the subpoena, arguing that Pence should not be required to testify on grounds of executive privilege. 

Troye said Pence is more likely to cooperate with the special counsel’s investigation than that of the House select committee because he viewed the committee as politicized. 

“In some ways, it’s political advantage if DOJ takes Donald Trump out of the running, that works in Mike Pence’s favor, and I’m sure that is part of the calculus going to the Pence team right now,” she said. 

Pence has indicated he is considering a run for the White House in 2024, but has thus far trailed behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) by significant margins in hypothetical GOP primary polls. 

Trump is still the only major candidate to have declared his candidacy.