Former vice president Mike Pence got into a heated exchange with a right-wing radio host about whether he would pardon former president Donald Trump were he to become president.
Mr Pence appeared on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” on Wednesday where he was asked by Mr Travis if he would pardon Mr Trump if he were facing prison time by the time Mr Pence potentially became president.
“Well, first off, these are serious charges,” Mr Pence said, reiterating his previous comments that he cannot defend Mr Trump on the actual allegations.
He added that, as governor of Indiana, he had pardoned people in the past.
“And I take the pardon authority very seriously is an enormously important power of someone in an executive position,” he said.
“And I just think it's premature to have a conversation about that right now guys.”
Mr Pence’s opponent for the Republican nomination for president Florida Governor Ron DeSantis previously told Mr Buck and Mr Travis that, were he to become president, he would pardon Mr Trump and anyone else who received “disfavoured treatment” from the Department of Justice.
Mr Travis pushed back against Mr Pence’s comments.
“I think as a matter of principle, if you believe as both Buck and I do, that Donald Trump is being prosecuted to a large extent for political based reasons, something that has never happened in the 240-plus year history of the United States, that we are setting an awful precedent here,” he said.
“With all due respect when you aren't telling us what your decision would be.
“I think you're dodging the question and, frankly, not stepping up on the front of leadership, which in the past you've been willing to do so. To me not answering is a ‘no.’”
Mr Pence said Mr Travis knew what the former president’s defence is.
“I mean, look, we either believe in our judicial process in this country, or we don't,” he said. “As a standard rule I don't talk about hypotheticals.”
In response, Mr Travis pressed Mr Pence, but his co-host said he thought they were going to get no more from Mr Pence.
Mr Pence had previously called the indictment a “sad day for America” and criticised the Justice Department for targeting Mr Trump, before later saying he “can’t defend” the allegations.
