Pence says he can’t defend alleged Trump crimes in classified documents indictment

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday helium could not support the criminal allegations against Donald Trump, his erstwhile brag and existent run rival, successful a national indictment charging the ex-president with mishandling classified documents.

But Pence nevertheless echoed the conception of a "two-tiered" justness strategy that Trump and his allies person pushed arsenic they question to undermine the prosecutors pursuing the unprecedented lawsuit against the erstwhile president.

"This indictment contains superior charges, and I cannot support what is alleged," Pence said connected CNBC's "Squawk Box."

Trump pleaded not blameworthy Tuesday to 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified records, hundreds of which were stored astatine his Mar-a-Lago edifice location aft helium near the White House successful 2021. Trump is charged with willfully retaining nationalist defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing documents and making mendacious statements.

Pence's remarks connected CNBC travel 1 week aft helium entered the 2024 Republican superior race, wherever polls amusement Trump has maintained a important pb contempt his mounting ineligible troubles. Pence fell retired with Trump aft helium refused to assistance the erstwhile president's efforts to overturn his 2020 nonaccomplishment to President Joe Biden. The determination eroded Pence's lasting successful the GOP, which has mostly stuck by Trump adjacent arsenic helium continues to falsely importune the 2020 contention was rigged against him.

Pence's run kickoff code criticized Trump successful occasionally forceful terms, but inactive sought to champion the docket that they passed unneurotic successful the White House. His remarks astir Trump's latest transgression indictment attempted to locomotion a likewise good line.

"The handling of classified materials is simply a precise superior matter," Pence said, but "the erstwhile president has a close to his time successful court."

"I can't judge that authorities didn't play immoderate relation here," Pence added. "If I person the privilege to beryllium president of the United States, we're going to cleanable location astatine the Department of Justice. We're going to find men and women who are universally respected by some governmental parties, and we're going to reconstruct nationalist assurance and adjacent attraction nether the law."

Pence reiterated his telephone for caller leadership, and imbued his thoughts connected Trump's indictment with run rhetoric.

"Two things tin beryllium existent astatine once," helium said, explaining that portion helium volition not support the "serious" charges against Trump, it "doesn't alteration the information that tens of millions of Americans person a consciousness of a two-tiered strategy of justice."

He referenced the probe of Hillary Clinton successful the run-up to the 2016 election, asserting that erstwhile FBI Director James Comey "excused precise akin behavior" by the then-Democratic nominee. Pence besides pointed to the probe of Russian predetermination meddling by erstwhile peculiar counsel Robert Mueller and alleged suppression of accusation astir Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

Legal experts person argued that Trump's case, which involves alleged violations of the Espionage Act and alleged conspiracy to obstruct the government, differs importantly from different instances of politicians holding onto records aft leaving office.