Mike Pence 'can't defend' Trump from Mar-a-Lago charges: 'These are very serious allegations'

Mike Pence has reversed himself on Donald Trump's indictment in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

The former vice president met Tuesday with the Wall Street Journal editorial board as the ex-president was indicted in South Florida, and he commented on news coverage of the case and said the allegations against Trump were "serious" and indefensible.

“Having read the indictment, these are very serious allegations, and I can’t defend what is alleged," Pence said. "But the president is entitled to his day in court, he’s entitled to bring a defense, and I want to reserve judgment until he has the opportunity to respond.”

Pence emphasized that “no one is above the law” and cited the bedrock principle that Americans are "innocent until proven guilty," but he told the board he was troubled by the government documents Trump had taken with him to Mar-a-Lago.

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“The suggestion that there were documents pertaining to the defense capabilities of the United States and our allies, our nuclear program, to potential vulnerabilities of the United States and our allies," Pence said. “Even the inadvertent release of that kind of information could compromise our national security and the safety of our armed forces, and, frankly, having two members of our immediate family serving in the armed forces of the United States, I will never diminish the importance of protecting our nation’s secrets.”

However, Pence suggested the prosecution was politicized and promised major reforms in the Department of Justice if he won the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and then the election.

“I think millions of Americans are deeply troubled by this indictment, particularly given the fact that Hillary Clinton engaged in very similar behavior in the 2016 campaign and did not face indictment, and we’ve got to have equal treatment under the law in this country,” Pence said. “My bottom line is this: I think the American people have lost confidence in the Department of Justice, not just because of this, but because of, really, a long series of abuses that have come to light.”

“We’re going to give the Department of Justice a fresh start, with men and women who are respected on both sides of the aisle for their commitment to the law," he added, "and I’ll leave it at that.”