Former US Vice President Mike Pence continued his criticism of former President Donald Trump on Monday, this time pushing back on Trump’s assertion that the Constitution should be disregarded to allow for him to return to the White House, The Hill reported.
Trump’s comments, in posts on Truth Social on Saturday, came after Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, released information about Twitter's role in limiting access to a story about Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden.
“So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION?" Trump wrote.
"A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great 'Founder' did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!" he added.
Speaking on WVOC radio in South Carolina on Monday, Pence said, “I must tell you that I think that everyone that serves in public office, everyone that aspires to serve or serve again should make it clear that we will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Pence noted that every federal official takes an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
He added that he believes he upheld his oath to defend the Constitution throughout his four years as Trump’s vice president, particularly in the final weeks of his term as Trump pressured him to reject the 2020 election results.
Pence has been critical of Trump recently. Last week, the former Vice President said Trump should apologize for hosting white nationalist Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Speaking to Leland Vittert of NewsNation in an interview, Pence said Trump “was wrong to give a white nationalist, an antisemite and a Holocaust denier, a seat at the table, and I think he should apologize for it and he should denounce those individuals and their hateful rhetoric without qualification.”
At the same time, the former Vice President stressed that he does not believe Trump is an antisemite himself.
“I don’t believe he’s a racist or a bigot. I would not have been his Vice President if he was,” he stated. “People often forget that the President’s daughter converted to Judaism, his son-in-law is a devout Jew, his grandchildren are Jewish. I think the President demonstrated profoundly poor judgement in giving those individuals a seat at the table and, as I said, I think he should apologize for it, he should denounce them without qualification.”
Before that, Pence was critical of Trump’s comments before the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“I believe that everyone who rioted at the Capitol needs to be held in the strictest account of the law. I said it that day and it continues to be my position,” he stated.
“I do believe that when I saw that tweet [by Trump] come across, that criticized me directly at a time that a riot was raging at the Capitol hallways, that the President's words were reckless, and they endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol building. But quite frankly, I didn’t have time for it. The President had decided to be a part of the problem. I was determined to be a part of the solution.”
Pence’s name has been floated as a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination but he has yet to announce a run.
He recently hinted he may not be supporting Trump if he runs again for the White House in 2024.
Speaking during an event at Georgetown University, Pence was asked by a student if he would vote for Trump in 2024 and replied, "Well, there might be somebody else I prefer more.”
"All my focus has been on the midterm elections, and it’ll stay that way for the next 20 days. But after that, we’ll be thinking about the future," Pence added. "Ours and the nation's. And, I'll keep you posted."
