Former Vice President Mike Pence, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Department of Justice had lost the confidence of the American people.”
Anchor Dana Bash said, “About your former boss. He’s facing indictment about events to over turn the 2020 election. And you said you hope it doesn’t come to that and that the American people should decide his future at the ballot box. But I want to be clear, if the Justice Department has evidence that he committed a crime related to January 6, you do not think he should be charged?”
Pence said, “Well, look, I know I did my duty that day under the Constitution. And frankly, as we traveled across New Hampshire this week to events and communities across the state, I was deeply moved as how many people compressed their appreciation for the stand that we took for the Constitution. And I’ve said many times, the president’s words were reckless that day. I have no right to overturn the election. While his words were reckless, based on what I know, I’m not yet convinced that they were criminal. I obviously wasn’t there for every meeting. I was busy trying to help reopen the government and the country after the COVID pandemic.”
He continued, “From what I know, I hope it doesn’t come to that. And also for the reason that I do think that the Department of Justice has lost the confidence of the American people. In one town hall after another across New Hampshire, I heard a deep concern for a perception about the unequal treatment of the law.”
Pence added, “I think one more indictment against the former president will only contribute to that sense among the American people and as I said, I would rather that these issues and the judgment about his conduct on January 6 be left to the American people and the upcoming primaries, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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