Pence Refutes Trump's Defense In Mar-A-Lago Classified Documents Case

Former Vice President Mike Pence contradicts former President Donald Trump’s claim regarding declassification of classified documents.

What Happened: According to The New York Times on Sunday, former Vice President Mike Pence stated that he was unaware of any widespread declassification of documents by Trump during their White House tenure. This statement contradicts one of Trump’s main defenses against charges of endangering national security.

“There is a process that the White House goes through to declassify materials,” Pence said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” according to the Times.

“I'm aware of that occurring on several cases over the course of our four years. But I don't have any knowledge of any broad-based directive from the president. But that doesn't mean it didn't occur; it's just not something that I ever heard about."

Trump, who faces 40 felony counts and accusations of taking classified documents when he left office, has insisted that he issued a “standing order” to declassify papers. However, Pence, along with other former Trump administration officials, claims he was never informed of such an order.

Trump’s claims have been made only in public appearances, where there is no legal penalty for falsehoods. Despite his assertions, evidence in the indictment filed by special counsel Jack Smith suggests Trump was aware the documents were not declassified.

Pence’s revelation comes at a crucial time as he and Trump vie for the Republican presidential nomination next year. Despite the competition, Pence has been cautious about criticizing his former running mate.

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Why It Matters: This development follows a probe in May 2023, which uncovered details that suggested Trump and his advisors were aware of the declassification procedures. The National Archives and Records Administration was preparing to deliver 16 records to special counsel Smith, which reportedly demonstrated this knowledge.

In September 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice had already expressed doubts about Trump’s declassification claims regarding the documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The DoJ noted that Trump had not provided evidence that the documents were declassified or that these were categorized as his personal records under the Presidential Records Act.

In June 2023, Pence expressed his disapproval of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his praise of Vladimir Putin. Despite these criticisms, Pence urged the Justice Department not to indict Trump, stating such an action would be “terribly divisive to the country.”

Previously in September 2022, Trump had suggested that a president could declassify documents simply by thinking about it. He told Fox News host Sean Hannity, "If you're the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, ‘It's declassified.' Even by thinking about it."

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