Speaking with CNN town hall moderator Dana Bash Wednesday night after launching his 2024 presidential campaign, Mike Pence said that while “no one is above the law,” the Department of Justice shouldn’t indict former president Trump for mishandling classified documents — and possibly obstructing the resulting investigation — because doing so would send a “terrible message to the world.”
Last year, it was discovered that over 300 documents with classified markings were found at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida. Federal agents raided the property to recover the documents after Trump refused to turn them over to the National Archives, the DOJ said.
Trump has been informed by federal prosecutors that he is a target in their investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office, the New York Times reported Wednesday evening shortly before the town hall. The timing suggests that prosecutors have largely completed their investigation and will soon bring an indictment.
“Sir, I just want to clarify what you're saying is if they believe he committed a crime, they should not go forward with an indictment? You just talked before about committing to the rule of law.” pic.twitter.com/8tk5XBZOxe
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 8, 2023
Pence’s comments echo those he’s made in the past when asked about Trump’s legal exposure. On Wednesday at a campaign event, NBC’s Jonathan Allen asked him if “President Trump should end his campaign if he’s indicted in federal court.” Pence chose not to respond, instead walking away.
In March, Mike Pence pushed back against the campaign finance investigation led by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, saying the issue “never should have risen to the level to bring an unprecedented and historic prosecution.”
Pence avoided answering the question of whether he’d pardon a convicted Trump, saying that he “didn’t know the facts of the case.” When pressed further, Pence said he refuses to “answer a hypothetical.”
While the question of hypothetical pardons remains unanswered, Pence has stated forcefully and repeatedly that his loyalty lies with the Constitution instead of Donald Trump.
“The American people deserve to know that on that day, president Trump also demanded that I choose between him and the constitution. Now, voters will be faced with the same choice: I chose the constitution and I always will,” Pence said during his kickoff speech in Des Moines, Iowa.