On Saturday (June 10), former Vice President Mike Pence called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to justify the federal charges against former President Donald Trump after his former boss was indicted on 37 felony charges.
Speaking at the North Carolina GOP convention, Pence said Trump is facing an “unprecedented indictment” from the Department of Justice (DOJ), “run by” President Joe Biden.
Pence described the day Trump was indicted as a “sad day” for America.
Although the former Vice President acknowledged that no one is above the law, he claimed he was witnessing “years” of politicization of the DOJ, citing examples such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not being indicted for using a private email server while she held office and the “hoax” investigation into ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Pence asserted the country has a “right” to know the “basis” of Trump’s indictment decision.
Pence requested Garland “to stand before the American people and explain why this was necessary.”
The former Vice President told Pence to “stop hiding behind the special counsel.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Garland to oversee the investigation after Trump announced his run for President in 2024, underscored the seriousness of the allegations against Trump shortly after the indictment was unsealed Friday. Smith emphasized that Trump is innocent until proven guilty while criticizing Trump and Republicans, who called the investigation politically motivated.
Smith described the “Adherence to the rule of law” as a “bedrock” of the DOJ, adding that the U.S.’s “commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world.”
Smith also pushed back at criticism, saying, “We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”
