Pence on Trump: I don’t know why other GOP 2024 candidates ‘presume the president will be found guilty’

Former Vice President Mike Pence said he does not know why other 2024 Republican presidential candidates “presume” former President Trump will be found guilty of the charges he is facing. 

Pence said in an interview with Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” which will air in full Sunday, that discussing whether to pardon Trump for the charges he is facing is “premature,” as the legal proceedings have not yet played out. 

“Let me say first and foremost, I don’t know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary presume the president will be found guilty,” he said. “Look, all we know is what the president has been accused of in the indictment. We don’t know what his defense is. We don’t know if this will even go to trial. It could be subject to a motion to dismiss. We don’t know what the verdict will be of the jury.” 

A few other candidates for the GOP nomination have either promised to pardon Trump if elected or said they are open to considering it. 

Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been the most vocal about pardoning Trump, saying that seeing the most recent indictment against Trump made him “even more convinced” that the former president should be pardoned. He has also called on his 2024 rivals to match his pledge to pardon Trump if elected. 

Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said she is “inclined in favor” of a pardon for Trump for the good of the country, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he would consider pardoning all defendants from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Trump. 

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez hinted Friday he is open to the idea, saying he would want to look at using the pardon power to heal the country. 

Todd pressed Pence on whether he would pardon Trump now if he was in President Biden’s position. 

“I just think this whole matter is incredibly divisive for the country. And, look, I just think at the end of the day, it is saddening to me that we are now in this moment,” Pence responded. 

Pence said before the indictment was issued that he hoped the Justice Department would not move forward with it as it would divide the country, but he said after it was unsealed that the allegations against Trump are “very serious” and he “can’t defend” what is alleged. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts filed against him in the classified and sensitive documents probe Tuesday.