Pence suggests DOJ didn’t try hard enough to get documents from Mar-a-Lago before search

Former Vice President Mike Pence suggested that the Justice Department (DOJ) did not try hard enough to obtain the classified and sensitive documents that were taken to former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence before executing search warrant at the property earlier this year.

Pence told host Chuck Todd in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that “there had to be many other ways to resolve those issues” and collect the missing documents.

“I’ve not hesitated to criticize the president when I think he was wrong. And clearly, possessing classified documents in an unprotected area is not proper,” Pence said.

“But I have to tell you, I was on the judiciary committee for ten years in the House of Representatives. I know how the Justice Department works. And there had to be many other ways to resolve those issues and—collect those classified documents.”

“They didn’t try everything. And I have to tell you, going to the last resort of executing a search warrant against a former president of the United States I think sent the wrong message. It was a divisive message in this country,” he continued.

Multiple outlets reported that the FBI communicated with Trump’s attorneys to try to obtain the missing documents and turn them over to government record keepers at the end of his administration.

But Trump repeatedly stifled the DOJ’s efforts to reclaim the materials for a period of months before the FBI conducted the search, acquiring thousands of pages of documents.

Pence said the search also sends the wrong message to countries throughout the world who view the United States as “the gold standard.” He said “third-world” countries often see a new leader come into power and prosecute and jail the previous leader.

“America should never be associated with that image at all,” he said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel on Friday to oversee the investigations into the documents found at Mar-a-Lago and the efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Garland said in his remarks that he felt such an appointment was necessary given that Trump has announced his intent to run for president a third time, and that President Biden has indicated his intention to run as well.

Pence said he hopes DOJ gives “careful consideration” to any further steps in the investigation.

The former vice president, who notably refused to overturn the 2020 election results while presiding over the certification process in Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, has made headlines over the past week with several high-profile media engagements.

His memoir, “So Help Me God,” came out Tuesday, and he participated in a CNN town hall on Wednesday. He is viewed as a potential GOP presidential candidate for 2024 and has said that he expects “better choices” than Trump for the Republican nomination.

However, during his conversation with Todd, he said and his family will sort out what his political future will look like in the coming months.

“My loyalty is to my faith, my values, and to America,” Pence said. “And I think if we’re a part of that debate next year, and our family will sort that out before the end of the year, Chuck, or if we’re just chipping in from the sidelines and others are in that contest, I think a good healthy debate over the direction of the country is warranted.”

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