Scoop: Pence says Jan. 6 defendants shouldn't get access to public dollars
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Former Vice President Mike Pence — once targeted by rioters during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack — says people who assaulted police officers that day should not receive taxpayer compensation under President Trump's IRS settlement.
The big picture: Pence has been praised for resisting pressure from Trump and allies to overturn or delay certification of former President Biden's 2020 election victory.
- Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol, he was ostracized by the Republican Party and its leader.
Pence spoke to Axios on Tuesday about his upcoming book, "What Conservatives Believe," and the future of the Republican Party.
Driving the news: Pence called Jan. 6 a "tragic day" while speaking to Axios.
- "I didn't agree with the President when he pardoned people who engaged in violence against law enforcement officials," Pence said.
- "And it would be my hope that anyone who engaged in violence against law enforcement or at the Capitol building would never be rewarded with taxpayers' money."
Catch up quick: Trump agreed Monday to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS on Monday in exchange for a $1.8 billion fund to compensate those who claim they were targets of government "weaponization."
- The agreement creates a taxpayer-backed fund that could compensate people who claim they were wrongly targeted by the government, potentially including some Jan. 6 defendants.
- Upon his return to office, Trump granted pardons and commutations to hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants whom Trump has described as "patriots" and "hostages" but whom critics characterized as violent insurrectionists.
What he's saying: "I think the overwhelming majority of people that have ever voted for Republican candidates ... still believe in a strong national defense, still believe in fiscal responsibility, still believe in traditional values," Pence said Tuesday.
- "And so my hope is that, as time goes on, people are going to return to those time-honored principles."