Former Vice President Mike Pence was stranded by his former employer on Sunday, arguing over a the possibility of prosecuting Donald Trump will amount to a political hit job.
Pence appeared on ABC This week, where he told host Jonathan Karl that an indictment of Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would simply enthrall the “radical left”. It follows similar language from Pence in recent weeks as he considers running for president in 2024.
“I am amazed at the idea of prosecuting a former president of the United States, at a time when there is a crime wave in New York City,” Pence told Karl. “The fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that prosecuting President Trump is his top priority, I think… just tells you everything you need to know about the far left in this country.”
Pence has not shied away from criticizing his former campaign friend in recent months, though he has consistently been less eager to press for his prosecution. He uttered a sarcastic “Let’s start again” to reporters in Iowa on Saturday, calling an indictment (which Trump announced would arrive on Tuesday, although there was no announcement from him). Manhattan DA) is politically motivated.
“Another political prosecution against the former president of the United States,” Pence said Subscribe to Des Moines. “I think many Americans are stunned by the unprecedented indictment against a former president, but also the fact that Manhattan DA, amid a wave of crime in New York City, then said the prosecution of the former president system is his highest priority. “
Pence’s comments follow what he told reporters in New Hampshire on Thursday, where he left his decision to drop out of the race following an indictment for Trump.
“Look, it’s a free country,” he said politics. “Everyone can make their own decisions.”
However, Pence seems more willing to assist with an investigation into Trump than he has been in the past. Karl asked if Pence would consider speaking with special counsel Jack Smith on matters unrelated to Pence’s role as Senate president. defense he has pledged to use in court to try to speak before the special counsel. Smith is investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
Pence noted his limited defense, though he would not directly confirm whether he will appear before Smith on other issues.
“I directed my attorneys to present a strong argument to defend my role as president of the Senate, presiding over the joint session of Congress that day, and to prepare for that, and we’ll leave it to the court,” he said. “But I have never really asserted that other issues unrelated to January 6 will be defended by speech and debate.”
