Melber Tells Pence, ‘We Don’t Need to Wait for History to Judge’ Trump, Says Ex-VP Is ‘On the Wrong Side’

MSNBC’s Ari Melber took former President Mike Pence to task for dodging a straightforward question about Donald Trump’s role in fomenting the Capitol riot.

Melber noted Trump actually had the gall to blame Pence for the riot because he refused Trump’s demands to attempt to overturn the 2020 election while presiding over its certification in Congress.

“I believe, number one, you would have had a different outcome,” Trump said this week. “But I also believe you wouldn’t have had ‘Jan. 6’ as we call it.”

On Thursday’s Kudlow on Fox Business Network, Larry Kudlow asked Pence if Trump bears responsibility.

“Do you think former President Trump incited violence or incited an insurrection?” he asked.

Melber aired Pence’s response.

“Well, look there was a riot at the Capitol that day and there were many causes. I do think that the president’s reckless words that day endangered all of us that were at the Capitol,” the former veep said. “We were able to reconvene the Congress the very same day and complete our work under the Constitution of the United States. But I’ll let history be the judge of those matters and the American people can each have their own opinions.”

The MSNBC host was unimpressed with the response from Pence, who is a potential 2024 presidential contender.

“That’s a cop-out,” he said. “And it misses that, history’s happening now, especially if you want to be a leader. You are going to be a part of forging history or bowing out or letting it go the wrong way. In our system of government, that’s how these things work.”

Melber noted the convictions of sedition the government has secured and said history has already judged.

“So let me be clear to Mr. Pence,” he continued. “We don’t need to wait for history to judge. Those convicts have been judged and condemned.”

He added that Pence was aware of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election before they became public, but said nothing publicly.

“The problem for Mr. Pence is it turns out he knew earlier than most people about how it was worse than it looked, that there were plots in advance,” Melber said. “He initially helped hide them. He was secretly testing out, talking to other officials about whether he might even join them. Then there’s law enforcement, how to keep us safe. And that’s where Pence is right now on the wrong side of history.”

The host noted Pence is currently fighting a subpoena issued by the Department of Justice seeking his testimony in its Jan. 6 probe.

“How can history hold anyone accountable if a key witness is actively undermining that search for truth?” Melber asked.

Watch above via MSNBC.