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‘Here we go again’: Mike Pence defends former boss in face of ‘politically charged’ Trump indictment

March 19, 2023 | | Print Article

In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s prediction that he will be arrested on Tuesday in connection to alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, Mike Pence is walking a fascinating line, attempting simultaneously to defend and decry his former boss with reactions that seem to be crafted with the goal of appearing as moderate an inoffensive as humanly possible.

Speaking to reporters at an Iowa event, Pence called the potential indictment of a U.S. president “deeply troubling” in one breath and, in the next, stated, “no one is above the law.”

(Video: WHO13)

“Well, here we go again. Another politically charged prosecution against the former president of the United States,” he began. “I think many Americans are taken aback at the unprecedented indictment of a former president. But also the fact that the Manhattan D.A. — in the midst of a crime wave in New York City — and says that indicting the former president is his highest priority.”

“It tells you everything you need to know about the liberal left in this country,” he stated.

As BizPac Review reported, Trump took to Truth Social and, citing “ILLEGAL LEAKS” in all caps, revealed, “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”

He then called on his supporters to, “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”

To that, Pence remained diplomatic.

“We respect the right of Americans to let their voice be heard and to express the frustration over what appears to be a politically motivated prosecution of the former president,” he said. “But we want to send a very clear message that violence will not be tolerated and anyone that would engage in violence would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The idea of indicting a president of the United States is deeply troubling to me as it is to tens of millions of Americans – and particularly happening in what appears to be a politically charged environment in New York where the attorney general and other elected officials literally campaigned on a pledge to prosecute the former president,” Pence told reporters.

“No one is above the law,” he stressed. “I’m confident President Trump can take care of himself. My focus is going to continue to be on the issues that are affecting the American people.”

It’s a middle-of-the-row stance that Pence took throughout the day.

Speaking on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday program, Pence again said he was “taken aback.”

“Well, like many Americans, I’m just, I’m taken aback,” Pence told host Matt Boyle, according to the Washington Examiner. “You have a major crime wave in New York, especially in New York City. You have literally a Democratic party that’s literally dismantled the criminal justice system in that city, undercut the NYPD, and this is what the Manhattan DA says is their top priority?”

And in a sit-down interview with ABC News’s “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, the former veep again cautioned Trump supporters against doing anything violent, reinforcing — be it intentionally or not — the notion that MAGA enthusiasts are no better than Antifa and look for opportunities to cause chaos and destruction.

“The frustration the American people feel about what they sense is a two-tier justice system in this country, I think — I think is well founded but — I — and — I believe that people understand that if they give voice to this, if this occurs on Tuesday, that they need to do so peacefully and in a lawful manner,” he said. “That the violence that occurred on January 6, the violence that occurred in cities throughout this country in the summer of 2020 was a disgrace. The American people won’t tolerate it and those that engage in that kind of violence should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Online, many were unimpressed with Pence’s take on the situation.

“Milquetoast says what?” one user asked on Twitter.

“There just aren’t words for how revoltingly awful Pence is,” said another. “What s horrible, horrible human being. We must stop him before he ruins any more lives.”

“Mike Pence is exactly as George Will once described him: oleaginous. Hearing him speak on any topic is revolting, but does his campaign believe he sounds like a leader?” tweeted a third. “Beta, beta, beta, beta, beta. Blech.”

https://twitter.com/VoteIsAntidote/status/1637277841589952512?s=20

 

 

Melissa Fine
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