N.H.’s DERRY – Mike Pence, the former vice president, straddled a tight line when speaking about the historic indictment of former President Donald Trump, his former employer.
Pence reiterated his remarks from a campaign rally, a nationally syndicated radio interview, and a scrum with reporters when he stated that the news of the indictment was “not just a sad day, but a troubling day for millions of Americans.”
No one is above the law, he remarked, and he believed it was crucial for people to remember this.
No one is beneath the law either, he emphasised right away. Every American has the right to an unrebutted assumption of innocence, and the former president also does. Additionally, the presumption of innocence should be the foundation for any decision about the campaign or his future.
Furthermore, he had made a point of saying in his campaign speech that “handling of classified materials of the United States is a serious matter.”
On June 9, 2023, former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a GOP presidential campaign event in Derry, New Hampshire (AP).
Pence’s remarks come a few hours after he made a similar point in an on-air discussion with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt on national radio. As he fielded questions from reporters during a retail campaign visit at Mary Ann’s Diner in downtown Derry, New Hampshire, Pence reiterated his position on Friday.
Pence later added, “This is a sad day for America,” in a one-on-one interview with Fox News Digital. “I, along with millions of other Americans, find it profoundly worrisome that a former president of the United States would be under investigation by the government of the person he ran against and was hoping to unseat. I had hoped that the Justice Department would be able to resolve this matter amicably without filing an indictment.
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The former vice president pointed to the Justice Department and said, “I’m profoundly disturbed. At a time when our politics are more divided than ever, I think it’s extremely divisive.
After leaving the White House in 2021, Pence said the day after Trump was charged with improperly retaining confidential records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
On Thursday night, following a lengthy investigation by Special Counsel Jack Smith, Trump was charged with federal offences. This shocking occurrence is the first time a former president has been charged with a crime at the federal level.
After being arrested in New York City earlier that day, former president Donald Trump talks at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP )
Pence pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland many times early Friday to “unseal the indictment, speak before the press and the American people and explain the reasons for this unprecedented indictment of a former President of the United States. Merrick Garland, the attorney general, needs to quit hiding behind the special counsel. Before the sun sets today, you need to get up and tell us why this was essential.
The 37-count federal indictment was made public after several hours. It said that Trump schemed, lied, and misled government investigations in order to keep sensitive documents that the former president reportedly knew were still classified. The former president is charged with breaking seven different laws in the indictment.
When asked if the former vice president was trying to be contradictory in his reactions to the indictment of Donald Trump, a Pence campaign representative told Fox News that the former vice president was being straightforward.
“I think he’s right to point out that over the past few years, the American people have significantly lost faith in our federal judicial system. However, it is also true that no one is exempt from the law. The aide responded, “I believe that’s really the point he’s trying to make.
“The two can both be true,” the assistant said.
On June 9, 2023, customers are greeted by former vice president Mike Pence and his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, at MaryAnn’s Diner in Derry, New Hampshire (Fox News).
Ryan Williams, a seasoned Republican communicator and strategist, asserted that “Pence is in a very tight spot.”
He certainly has misgivings about how his old boss conducts business, Williams noted. He is attempting to express the obvious—that Trump’s behaviour is concerning—while maintaining his ability to win over the kind of Republican primary voters he needs to win the nomination.
An indictment for any suspected crime, the accompanying perp walk, and the subsequent court hearings would be the electoral equivalent of the election’s death knell for a politician. It appears to be a gift in the GOP primary campaign for Trump, who is hardly a typical politician.
After being charged and arraigned in New York City two months ago for allegedly paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels hush money in 2016 to keep her quiet before the presidential election, Trump saw a rise in support among Republicans in the primary elections.
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When asked if the indictment will help Trump once more and make it harder for him to win the nomination, Pence responded, “I’m optimistic that the Republican primary voters here, in Iowa, and in all of the next Republican contests will sort through all of these concerns.
According to Pence, “I think they’re going to give us a standard-bearer fit for the times who can lead not only our party but also lead our country back to security and prosperity.”
One of the ten Republicans challenging Trump for the GOP presidential candidature in 2024 is Pence. The most recent Republican primary surveys currently show Trump as the clear front-runner. Trump launched his third consecutive campaign for president in November.
On Friday, June 9, 2023 in Derry, New Hampshire, former vice president Mike Pence will be the featured speaker in a roundtable conversation with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. (Fox News)
Pence was visiting New Hampshire for the first time as a declared contender after launching his campaign on Wednesday in Iowa. The first two states to cast ballots in the Republican nomination process are Iowa and New Hampshire.
Republican strategist and former candidate Williams stated that “Republicans will likely rally around Trump as they did after his first indictment.”
“You run the risk of losing supporters in the Republican primary if you don’t appear to be concerned by this indictment, regardless of the circumstances. It’s a challenging situation, particularly for someone who formerly served as Trump’s vice president,” he continued.
