After federal authorities handed down more charges to embattled former President Donald Trump connected to the deadly Capitol insurrection, many eyes are turning to former Vice President Mike Pence for his key role in the investigation that led to this most recent indictment.
Trump recently pleaded not guilty to criminal charges he faces for alleged election interference after losing to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Included in the indictment are mentions of “contemporaneous notes” from Pence as well as calls between Pence and Trump just days before the insurrection that revealed Trump’s ruthless demands for Pence to refrain from certifying electoral votes and halt the peaceful transfer of power.
The former vice president and now-presidential hopeful has worked to remove himself from any and all parts of the investigation into the violent riot, only testifying before the special counsel after losing a court fight.
He has also tread carefully in his comments on the special counsel investigations and other subsequent indictments against Trump, presumably not to rile any of his supporters and chip away at his campaign. He called the first indictment connected to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels an “outrage” and said of the second on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents that he “cannot defend what is alleged.”
However, in recent months, Pence has gone on the offensive, saying Trump was “wrong” for his role in the Capitol uprising, thereby distancing himself from the former president’s good graces. And now, he’s approaching this latest indictment with even less ambiguity than the previous two, appearing more forthright and unforgiving.
In an interview with reporters after Trump’s third indictment was…
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