January 6 Committee: Trump was told his plan for Pence to overturn the election was illegal but tried anyway

The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol held its third public hearing and focused on former President Trump’s efforts to pressure former Vice President Pence to stand in the way of certifying the 2020 election. The committee revealed that Trump was told repeatedly that his plan for Pence to overturn the election was illegal but he tried to do it anyway. Conservative lawyer George Conway tells Anderson Cooper whether he thinks the Justice Department could find the former President criminally liable for his actions.

The committee also said that on January 6 there was just "40 feet between the Vice President and the mob." Carol Leonnig is a national investigative reporter for the Washington Post and has reported extensively on Pence and his safety during the insurrection. She joins AC360 to discuss the details the committee laid out about how close the Vice President, his family and his aides were to real danger. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices