Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that he “cannot defend what is alleged” in the latest indictment against former President Donald Trump, an apparently tougher stance than he had previously taken on the decision by Department of Justice to indict his former running mate.
Still, Pence, who said he read the 49-page document over the weekend, reiterated his accusation that the Justice Department deployed a “two-tier system of justice” against Trump, saying that he would stop to give his final judgment until the first. The president has had his day in court.
“This indictment contains serious charges and I cannot defend what is alleged,” he said CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” on Wednesday, personalizing the topic with both his family’s military service and his own experiences with security clearance. “The very prospect that what is alleged here has taken place, creating an opportunity where highly sensitive classified material could have fallen into the wrong hands, even inadvertently, endangers our national security. [and] puts the men and women of our Armed Forces at risk.”
“I can’t defend what’s being said, but the former president is entitled to his day in court,” Pence repeated. “I just can’t, I can’t believe that politics didn’t play some role here.”
Former U.S. Vice President and Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence attends the North Carolina Republican Party convention in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 10, 2023.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters
The comments mirrored those given to him by the former vice president Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Tuesday afternoon, just after Trump pleaded not guilty in a Miami federal court to 37 charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith related to his handling of classified materials.
“As the father and father-in-law of two men currently serving in the United States Armed Forces, I will never diminish concerns about the handling of classified material,” Pence said. “The documents that were allegedly in the president’s possession — describing our nation’s defense capabilities, the potential vulnerabilities of the United States and our allies — if these materials were ever to inadvertently end up in the hands of foreign interests, it would be endanger the security of our country as well as the safety and security of our Armed Forces.”
“President Trump is entitled to his day in court, and I will listen with great interest to his defense and pass any judgment on this matter after the president has had an opportunity to present his case,” he continued. “But I will tell you … I’ve lived through years of politicization at the Justice Department, and I share the concern of millions of Americans about the way politics has played a role.”
“I want to emphasize that when we look at an indictment, it’s only one side of the story,” Pence added Tuesday. Trump has denied all allegations of embezzlement.
A photo contained in the indictment released June 9, 2023, from the U.S. Southern District of Florida, shows boxes of potentially sensitive documents found at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
DOJ through the US Southern District of Florida
He said the indictment “stands for a fresh start in this country” and vowed in both interviews to “clean house” at the Justice Department and the FBI if elected president.
“One of the first things we’re going to do is clean house at the highest level of the Justice Department and bring in men and women who are above reproach, who are respected on both sides of the aisle,” he told CNBC. “We must respect the rule of law in this country and all those who enforce the laws.”
After being asked how he is able to “square” his line that “nobody is above the law” echoing Trump’s efforts to undermine the Justice Department, Pence said: “I don’t think there is no circle to square.”
“I think two things are certain today: Number one he is not above the law. This indictment includes serious charges. I cannot defend what is alleged. The handling of classified material is of vital importance to the country.” , has said. “But look, we’ve gone through about seven years where the American people have lost confidence in our Department of Justice.”
Asked Friday while campaigning at MaryAnn’s Diner New Hampshire, when the indictment was revealed, if Trump should drop out of the race as some competitors say, Pence called that “premature.”
Vice President Mike Pence speaks with President Donald J. Trump and members of the coronavirus task force during a briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 27, 2020, in Washington.
abin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“I think the former president has the right to defend himself. And we will respect that right,” he said.
While Pence did not call for Trump to end his presidential bid, he used the same term — “premature” — to describe a push by other members of the party to galvanize widespread support for a promise to impeach Trump if is elected
“I take the pardon authority very seriously. It’s an enormously important power of someone in an executive position, and I think it’s premature to have a conversation about that right now, guys,” Pence told conservative radio host Clay Travis about the effort headed by entrepreneur and 2024 hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
Pence also said at the time, before he had a chance to review the indictment, that he hoped the Justice Department would “see a clear path to resolve these issues with the former president without moving forward with charges.”
“I expect that the Department of Justice, whatever the case against the former president, will proceed with the investigation of President Biden and also his family with the same vigor,” Pence said, referring to the ongoing investigation into Biden’s possible mishandling of the classifieds. documents
Pence, who was acquitted of all charges in his own classified materials case, testified earlier this year before a separate federal grand jury investigating his former running mate over efforts to overturn the U.S. election. 2020
The accusation against Trump came just days after Pence launched his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump has a comfortable lead in the race for the nomination, and even gained ground in the primary in an ABC News poll conducted after Trump’s first impeachment in New York. Trump pleaded not guilty to the felony charges he faced in New York City.
