Day 3 of Jan. 6 hearings: Trump's pressure on Pence

There were two main takeaways from Thursday’s Jan. 6 hearing. [View in browser]( [Image]( June 16, 2022 JAN. 6 HEARINGS RECAP: DAY 3 [Alternate text] There were two main takeaways from [Thursday's Jan. 6 committee hearing](. First: [Lawyer John Eastman's plan]( to have Vice President Mike Pence postpone certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory was an illegal farce. Second: The[threat this scheme posed to American democracy]( was and remains very real. During the previous hearing, the committee hinted at what was to come with a [teaser video](. The clip featured testimony from ex-Trump lawyer Eric Herschmann, who said he told Eastman to get a good criminal defense lawyer after devising the scheme. The committee gave that clip context today. The members displayed a draft letter intended for Trump, in which Eastman [acknowledged there was no legal basis for the scheme](. They played testimony from Herschmann saying [Eastman didn’t care if the scheme led to violence](. They heard testimony from Pence lawyer Gregory Jacob, who said [Eastman acknowledged he wouldn't tolerate Democrats trying a similar scheme](. And they revealed emails showing Eastman angling to be considered for a pardon, seemingly acknowledging his criminal exposure. The committee's witnesses helped convey the seriousness of the violent mob that stormed the Capitol as part of Eastman's scheme. Along with Jacob, we heard from conservative former Judge Michael Luttig, who advised Pence’s team not to go along with the plot. Luttig, an [archconservative legal mind]( in his own right, called Eastman’s scheme "constitutional mischief." And he issued a dire warning about Jan. 6 and future anti-democratic attacks to come, saying Trump and his allies are "candidly and proudly" vowing to use Jan. 6 as a blueprint for elections in 2024. If that's true, however, they may want to lay low. During the hearing, we also [learned]( the Justice Department has requested all interviews from the Jan. 6 investigation for use in its ongoing criminal inquiries. — Ja'han Jones Read MSNBC's live coverage of the hearing [here](. HEARING HIGHLIGHTS [Alternate text] [Greg Jacob]( [Noah Rothman]( [Mike Pence's lawyer Greg Jacob has a warning for America]( [John Eastman]( [Lisa Rubin]( [John Eastman bombshell: What his own notes from Oct. 2020 reveal]( [Liz Cheney]( [Ja'han Jones]( [Liz Cheney and Judge Michael Luttig eviscerate Eastman's legal reasoning]( [Mike Pence]( [Jessica Levinson]( [Mike Pence lacked the power to overthrow the election. Just ask the Founders.]( [Ted Cruz]( [Hayes Brown]( [What John Eastman and Ted Cruz have in common]( MORE FROM MSNBC [Alternate text]   "Love & The Constitution," an MSNBC Films feature documentary, follows Jan. 6 select committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin and his fight to defend American democracy during the final days of the Trump presidency, while coping with the tragic loss of his son, who passed away days before the attack on the Capitol. "Love & The Constitution" is streaming now on Peacock.   [Privacy]( [Unsubscribe](listvar=sub_daily)