Former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged the gravity of the criminal allegations against his former boss, Donald Trump, who is currently his rival in the campaign. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Pence stated that he “cannot defend what is alleged” in the federal indictment charging Trump with mishandling classified documents. Although Pence did not explicitly defend Trump’s actions, he echoed the idea of a “two-tiered” justice system that Trump and his allies have been promoting to undermine the prosecutors pursuing the case against him.
On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified records, hundreds of which were stored at his Mar-a-Lago resort home after he left the White House in 2021. Trump is charged with willfully retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing documents, and making false statements.
Pence’s remarks come just one week after he entered the 2024 Republican primary race, where polls show his former boss still maintains a significant lead despite his mounting legal troubles. While Pence’s campaign kickoff speech criticized Trump in strong terms, he still sought to champion the agenda they passed together while in the White House.
Referring to the handling of classified materials as a “very serious matter,” Pence maintained that Trump has a right to his day in court, but he made a call for new leadership. He believes that if he has the honor of being the president of the United States, he intends to clean house at the Department of Justice and restore public confidence and equal treatment under the law.
Although Pence stated that he cannot defend what is alleged against Trump, he did argue that tens of millions of Americans feel there is a two-tiered system of justice. He referenced the investigation of Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 election, pointed out that former FBI Director James Comey “excused very similar behavior” by Clinton, and mentioned the investigation of Russian election meddling by former special counsel Robert Mueller and the alleged suppression of information about Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Despite Trump’s mounting legal troubles, polls indicate that he still has a commanding lead in the 2024 Republican primary race. Legal experts have argued that Trump’s case differs significantly from other instances of politicians holding onto records after leaving office, as it involves alleged violations of the Espionage Act and alleged conspiracy to obstruct the government.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
