Trump Whines About Pence Not Being Charged in Classified Document Probe: ‘I’m at Least as Innocent as He Is’

Sarah RumpfJun 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
 
Donald Trump glaring at Mike Pence

AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

Former President Donald Trump was not happy about his former veep being exonerated in the DOJ’s classified documents probe, complaining once again that he is an “innocent” victim of a “witch hunt.”

Potential criminal charges are still looming over the ex-president related to classified documents seized by the FBI from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last August, stunning news that was followed by classified documents also being found in the possession of President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.

Friday, news broke that the DOJ would not be pursuing criminal charges against Pence, with the department’s national security division reportedly closing the investigation and informing the former vice president’s attorney that he would not face charges. As numerous commentators have pointed out, a key difference in the Pence and Trump documents is that the Pence team self-reported the discovery of classified documents and cooperated with the FBI to search his Indiana residence, which resulted in one additional document being found. Trump’s legal team, on the other hand, gave a certified letter to authorities claiming Trump had no more documents in his possession, which turned out to be false as the FBI retrieved a large number of them from his home, as shown in a photo that went viral.

The conclusion of the DOJ investigation is undoubtedly a relief to Pence, who will launch his presidential campaign next week — and just as undoubtedly an annoyance for Trump, who is still facing potential criminal charges for the Mar-a-Lago documents, in addition to being indicted by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg over the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The ex-president made his frustration clear in a Friday morning post on his Truth Social account.

“Just announced that they are not going to bring charges against Mike Pence on the document hoax,” wrote Trump. “That’s great, but when am I going to be fully exonerated, I’m at least as innocent as he is. And what about Joe Biden, who is hiding at least 1850 boxes, and some located in Chinatown, DC? When will the witch hunt against ‘TRUMP’ stop?”

Tags:
Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.