In the biggest exchange of the vice-presidential debate, J.D. Vance left little doubt: Had he been Donald Trump’s vice president on January 6, 2021, he would have faithfully done Trump’s bidding and tried to scuttle the congressional count of electors to help Trump overturn his presidential election loss. In other words, Vance would have done what Mike Pence would not.

As many have correctly noted, this showed that Vance would not have stood up to Trump when democracy itself hung in the balance. Vance would have put Trump’s likely criminal scheme to remain in the presidency illegitimately above his duty to help execute the peaceful transfer of power, the bedrock of self-rule and our stable (sometimes, anyway) political order.

But we risk overlooking something important if we narrow the question to what Vance would have done in the situation Pence faced. Trump is explicitly vowing to violate his oath of office in numerous other ways in a second term, from prosecuting political opponents without cause to seeking to bar the news media from reporting critically on him. In the key exchanges of the night, what Vance really revealed is that he cannot be counted on to put the rule of law and the Constitution above Trump if he wins and commits those violations of his oath as well, as he inevitably would.

In those exchanges, a CBS News moderator reminded Vance that he has said he wouldn’t have certified the electors on January 6 and would instead have asked key states to submit alternate electors. Asked if Vance would again challenge a Trump loss if it is certified by swing state governors, Vance defended his previous........

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