Mike Pence, a candidate for president in 2024 and a former vice president, declined to say if he would offer a pardon to former President Trump if he were found guilty, calling such a statement “premature” and “hypothetical.”
While doing a radio interview with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton this week, Pence was questioned about whether or not he would pardon Trump if he were the president. Pence replied:
“Well, to start with, these are significant accusations. As I already stated, I cannot refute the allegations, but the President is entitled to a chance to respond. And I would want to remind each of you that I have previously served as governor. I have in fact pardoned individuals. I also take the ability to grant pardons extremely seriously. It’s a colossally significant power that a CEO has. And folks, I simply believe it’s premature to talk about it right now.”
Travis persisted in pressing Pence, telling him that he was “dodging the question and frankly, not stepping up to the plate on the front lines of leadership—which previously you have been eager to do, so to me not responding is a “no”.”
Pence said that the details were yet unknown.
“First, I don’t believe you are aware of the President’s defense. Are you? What are the facts, exactly? In our country, we either have faith in our justice system or we do not. We can either uphold the law… What I would say is that, in my opinion as someone who…”
Travis interrupted Pence and said, “What I am hearing is that you are okay with Donald Trump being imprisoned, sir, and that to me personally, considering you were his vice president seems rather disrespectful.”
Pence said that generally speaking, he avoided “talking about hypotheticals.”
“Look, we are unaware of what the president’s plan of defense is here,” he said. “He has a right, in my opinion, to present a defense and have his day in court. And, well, let’s just take it one step at a time, shall we? Any judgment made by a candidate for the presidency of the United States based on the facts of the present case or the ongoing probe of President Biden or his family, in my opinion, would be premature.”
“Let the process run its course. Let’s stick to the truth. And I pledge to do precisely that if elected president of the United States,” he declared.
According to Breitbart News, another Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy has declared that he will pardon Trump if he is elected and has urged all other Republican candidates to do the same.
