Three major takeaways from the third January 6 hearing

On Thursday, the House Select Committee held its third public hearing revealing investigation findings regarding the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

During the third hearing, committee members focused on former Vice President Mike Pence's role in Donald Trump's plan to overturn the 2020 election results.

So far the committee has made arguments that the people closest to Trump knew the election results were not fraudulent and many tried to reason with the former president. They've also provided evidence indicating Trump misled donors by setting up a PAC to help him fight electoral fraud when really the money never went to election litigation lawyers.

Thursday's hearing concerned Trump's efforts to pressure Pence to overturn the election.

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Here are three takeaways from the third of six hearings.

Trump was told his plan to overturn the election was illegal but proceeded anyway

Pence's White House lawyer Greg Jacob testified in person on Thursday that Pence approached him with the theory regarding the 12th Amendment and Electoral Count Act that seemingly would allow him to choose the next president.

The committee said the theory was created by former Trump lawyer Dr. John Eastman in collaboration with Trump.

Jacob told Pence there "was not justifiable basis the vice president has that kind of authority" shutting down the theory. Understanding that Dr. Eastman's theory was incorrect Pence, pushed back when the president requested.

Retired conservative federal appeals court judge, J. Michael Luttig testified to the validity of the theory saying it was "incorrect".

Luttig added that had Pence gone through with the plan it would have “plunged America into what I believe would have been tantamount to a revolution within a constitutional crisis in America.”

However, Trump continued to press Pence to go through with the plan, even when Dr. Eastman doubted the legality of his theory.

In a pre-recorded testimony, Jacob said two days before the attack on the Capitol, Dr. Eastman acknowledged in front of Trump that pressuring Pence to overturn the election results violated the Electoral Count Act.

Proud Boy informant says the mob "would have killed Mike Pence if given the chance"

The committee provided videos of Trump speaking to rally attendees on January 6th in which the former president said Pence had the power to change election results and was going to be "very disappointed" if he did not.

Believing that Pence had failed to overturn election results, the mob stormed the Capitol shouting threats at Pence including, "hang Mike Pence."

According to the committee when the mob stormed the Capitol, Pence and his team were taken to a secure location where he sat for four and a half hours. Only 40 feet separated Pence and the mob.

An unnamed informant from The Proud Boys told the FBI that "the Proud Boys would have killed Mike Pence if given the chance."

Chairperson Pete Aguilar (D-CA) emphasized that the vice president's life was very much in danger that day.

Eastman asked for a presidential pardon following January 6th

Just two days after the attack on the Capitol, Dr. Eastman emailed Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani requesting that his name be added to the list of potential presidential pardons.

The committee showed an email between Dr. Eastman and Giuliani to which Dr. Eastman wrote "I've decided that I should be on the pardon list".

Dr. Eastman was never issued a pardon and upon being asked to give a deposition in front of the committee he pled the Fifth.

The next hearing will take place on Tuesday, June 21 at 12:30 pm.

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