Donald Trump sent a mob to the Capitol to go after Mike Pence on 1/6, but the former vice president refuses to answer when asked if he would pardon Trump.
Video of Pence on Meet The Press:
WATCH: Former Vice Pres. @Mike_Pence dodges the question of whether he’d pardon former Pres. Trump if elected in 2024, calling it “premature.”
“I don’t know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary presume the [former] president will be found guilty.” pic.twitter.com/7P6o0xOKX6
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 18, 2023
Chuck Todd asked Pence about pardoning Trump.
The former VP answered, “I just think the question is premature. I’ve pardoned people who have been convicted of a crime…I don’t know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary presume the (former) president will be found guilty. Look all we know is what the (former) president has been accused of in the indictment. We don’t know what his defense is. We don’t know if this will ever go to trial. We don’t know what the verdict will be by the jury.”
Pence called the criminal charges divisive for the country and saddening that we are now in this moment.
This can’t be repeated often enough. Donald Trump tried to bring harm to Mike Pence and reportedly said that Pence deserved what happened on 1/6.
For most people the answer to the question that Pence was asked would be more like if he is convicted, he should do his time. I believe in the rule of law and the justice system. The law applies to everyone equally.
Only a spineless person would dodge the question of pardoning Trump.
The conclusion that can be drawn from the behavior of most Republican 2024 presidential candidates is that they don’t believe in the rule of law, and they don’t feel that the law should be applied equally.
Mike Pence isn’t going to be the Republican nominee, and his shameless pandering brand of politics is not the sort of leadership that America needs.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
