In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on July 17, 2023, former Vice President Mike Pence said that former President Donald Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, was “reckless” but not criminal.
Pence said that Trump’s actions on that day “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.” However, he said that he did not believe that Trump’s actions met the legal definition of incitement to insurrection.
Pence’s comments were the latest in a series of public statements in which he has distanced himself from Trump and his claims about the 2020 election. In recent months, Pence has said that he does not believe that the election was stolen, and he has condemned Trump’s efforts to overturn the results.
Trump has responded to Pence’s comments by calling him a “traitor” and a “loser.” He has also said that Pence should be “impeached” for his role in the certification of the election results.
It is unclear what impact Pence’s comments will have on the ongoing investigation into the Capitol attack. However, they are likely to further divide Republicans and add to the political uncertainty surrounding the 2024 presidential election.
