JAKARTA - Former United States Vice President and Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence said on Sunday he felt the words and actions of former President Donald Trump ahead of the attacks on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, were reckless but unlikely to constitute a criminal act.
"Although the words are reckless, based on what I know, I'm not sure that it's a criminal act," Pence said at CNN's "State of the Union" event.
Earlier, Trump on Tuesday said he had received a letter saying he was the target of a jury investigation regarding attempts to cancel his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
The letter is the clearest sign to date that Trump, the leading candidate for presidential nomination from the Republican Party in 2024, may face federal criminal charges over his efforts to remain in power, after losing to Joe Biden's election to the Democratic Party.
"I hope it doesn't get like that," Pence said of a possible Trump indictment for attempts to cancel the 2020 election.
He said it should be left to the United States public to determine whether Trump is responsible.
"His actions are reckless," said Pence. "To be honest, I don't know what his intentions are" on January 6, 2021," he said.
It is known that ahead of the Capitol 2021 attack by his supporters, Trump, who was the president at the time, repeatedly criticized Pence as his deputy, for refusing to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
Pence said on Sunday Trump was wrong to think the former vice president could overturn the election results. Some rioters shouted "Depending on Mike Pence" during the riots on the Capitol.
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"I know, I did my job that day," Pence said on Sunday.
Separately, Trump was indicted in June on charges of illegally storing national security documents, when he left his post and lied to officials trying to get him back. He has pleaded not guilty.
Recently he was also charged with falsifying business records, to hide the payment of covert money to a porn star.
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