Mike Pence revealed on Sunday that he lacks any knowledge regarding former President Donald Trump’s endeavors to declassify documents he obtained after leaving office in 2021.
In anticipation of the upcoming presidential debates he is set to participate in this week, the former Vice President of the United States stated, “There is a process that the White House goes through to declassify materials. I’m aware of that occurring on several occasions over the course of our four years. But I don’t have any knowledge of any broad-based directive from the president,” as he conversed with ABC News.
Pence went on to explain, “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t occur. I just—it’s not something that I ever heard about.”
In June, Trump faced a seven-count indictment as part of the Justice Department’s inquiry into his handling of classified documents that he brought to his Mar-a-Lago Florida resort post his departure from the White House in 2021. The indictment included allegations of potential obstruction of the investigation and government efforts to recover the material.
As per the regulations outlined in the Presidential Records Act, White House records are to be securely stored, often in places such as the National Archives, at the conclusion of an administration.
Despite facing multiple indictments, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Pence, who criticized Trump for his role in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, has maintained caution in expanding his condemnation since announcing his presidential candidacy earlier this year.
While Pence acknowledged that Trump’s actions on January 6 were reckless, he has yet to ascertain if they qualify as criminal offenses. However, Pence has not ruled out the possibility of pardoning the former president.
In preparation for the debate scheduled for Wednesday, Pence shared his strategy: “I’m just going to be me. I feel like I’ve been preparing for this first Republican presidential debate my whole life.”
