Pence says it'd send a "terrible message" if DOJ indicts Trump
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Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the Federalist Society's Executive Branch Review Conference at the Mayflower Hotel April 25. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Former Vice President Mike Pence said during a CNN presidential town hall that the Justice Department indicting former President Trump, would exacerbate the country's divisions and send a “terrible message” to the world.
Driving the news: “I hope the DOJ thinks better of it and resolves these issues without an indictment,” Pence, 64, said Wednesday at the town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, hours after launching his campaign with a rebuke of Trump.
- The New York Times reported Wednesday that the DOJ has informed Trump that he is a target of the investigation into his handling of classified documents — the clearest signal yet the former president could face federal criminal charges.
- Pence, when pressed by moderator Dana Bash on whether Trump should be indicted if he is found guilty of a crime, said that "no one is above the law."
The big picture: Pence's campaign sets up a rare contest between an ex-president and ex-vice president, but it's the latest fission between Pence and former President Trump that has been growing since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Flashback: Pence echoed a similar sentiment following Trump's indictment earlier this year relating to 2016 hush money payments, when the former vice president called the the New York grand jury's decision an "outrage."
State of play: An evangelical Christian, Pence is a strong opponent of abortion rights and he is expected to appeal to evangelical conservatives in Iowa as part of his campaign. He was formerly the governor of Indiana and a member of the U.S. House.
Go deeper... Pence allies create super PAC to bolster likely presidential bid
Pence acknowledges climate is changing
"Clearly the climate is changing," Pence said when asked a question related to the stunning Canadian wildfire smoke billowing across the Northeast.
Why it matters: Some Republican lawmakers have shifted from denying climate change's existence to opposing or delaying policy that would address it.
Driving the news: Air quality in parts of the U.S., including New York City, reached hazardous levels on Wednesday because of smoke extending south from wildfires in Canada.
- Conditions were expected to remain poor on Thursday. Extreme heat events affecting northwest Canada caused by climate change magnified drought conditions in the area.
Pence said he would be a part of "bringing more common sense" to forest management in the U.S. if elected president.
- Dozens of environmental regulations were repealed during the Trump administration, and mainstream climate science was often rejected.
Pence joins a crowded GOP primary field
Other contenders include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
