Pence was formerly a close ally of Republican former President Donald Trump, who is being investigated by the panel for his alleged role in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. On that day, Pence was threatened by Trump supporters who broke into the building and threatened to hang him. At the time, Pence was in the Senate certifying the results of the election, and had to be rushed out of the building by security when the mob stormed the Capitol.
Many Trump supporters saw Pence as a traitor for not working with them to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. The former president has consistently claimed, without evidence, that the election was fraudulent and stolen from him.
But in an interview with The Washington Times on Sunday, Pence said he had “real concerns” about the “partisan nature” of the Democratic-led Jan. 6 committee.
“By essentially rendering this as a partisan committee that’s operating on a very partisan basis—and at times leaking information and leaking testimony—I think in many respects it has squandered an opportunity to really thoughtfully examine what took place that day and where the failings were,” Pence said.
Pence said Trump had a “larger than life personality” but said the conservative movement has had plenty of those.
He defended his former boss’s “America First” agenda, saying the administration’s achievements will help Republicans win future elections in the U.S.
The committee is building a case through Trump’s words and actions that the crowd interpreted as marching orders to invade the Capitol and stop Pence overseeing the certification of Biden’s election victory.
Asked by the newspaper whether he agreed with the allegations of the Jan. 6 Committee that the former president had endangered him, Pence appeared to take a neutral stance.
“I was at the Capitol that day. I don’t know what was happening at the White House,” Pence said.
“I’d leave that judgment to others. I think every American has their own perception about that day. For my part, I’ll always be convinced that we did our duty,” he added.
Pence said last week he would consider an invitation to testify to the committee investigating last January’s violence. He made the remarks during a Q&A session after speaking at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics’ “Politics & Eggs” breakfast, a common forum for those considering a run for the White House.
Expanding on those remarks, he told The Washington Times that, while considering participating, “we would reflect very carefully on my obligations to preserve the separation of powers and the constitutional framework that I served in.”
Like many others in his party, Pence expressed concerns about the FBI’s raid on Trump’s residence and office at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump is under investigation for potentially breaking the Espionage Act, as well as other laws, according to the operation’s search warrant.
Pence said the raid was unprecedented and said it “demands unprecedented transparency” from the Justice Department to explain its actions.
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s team for comment.