Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday publicly opposed the ongoing attempts to exclude Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot, arguing that such actions are “antithetical to democracy.”
What Happened: In an interview with CNN, Pence criticized the push to ban Trump from the 2024 ballot under the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment.
Federal and state prosecutors are pushing to ban Trump from 2024 ballots development following the Jan. 6 incident, where Trump supporters breached the Capitol while Pence was in the process of certifying the Electoral College results of the 2020 election.
Despite being at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 incident, Pence refrained from labeling the event as an insurrection, instead referring to it as a riot. He argued that barring Trump or any other candidate from the ballot goes against the democratic right of the American people to elect their leaders.
"I have never called what happened on Jan. 6 an insurrection," Pence said.
"I was there. It was a riot, the way it broke out, and I have never seen it any other way."
"And while I said that the president's words were reckless — and I believe that history and the American people will hold him ultimately to account for his role in that day — I think these efforts to take the decision away from the American people are really antithetical to the very democracy that President Biden and many Democrats talk about wanting to defend," Pence added.
Why It Matters: The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on the issue of Trump’s eligibility for the 2024 ballot. This comes after the Colorado Supreme Court decided to prevent Trump from appearing on the state’s primary ballot. The decision could potentially impact Trump's inclusion in ballots across several states, adding a layer of uncertainty to the 2024 presidential race.
In October last year, Pence withdrew from his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination, concluding his White House campaign due to challenges in fundraising and difficulties gaining momentum in the polls.
In March last year, Pence had also slammed Trump, saying the Capitol riots put him and his family in danger. "President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable," he had said.
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