Donald Trump's Jan. 6 Hostage Rhetoric ‘Unacceptable’: Ex US VP Mike Pence

Ex Vice President of the United States who held office during the former administration of Donald Trump, Mike Pence, on Sunday repeated that he won't be endorsing Trump.

Speaking at ”Face the Nation" Pence slammed Trump for calling people detained in connection to Jan. 6 insurrection as “hostages.”

That rhetoric is “unacceptable,” Pence said, adding that the incident was tragic and that he witnessed shocking acts such as attacks on police officers.

“People who ransacked the Capitol shall be held to account,” Pence maintained. "I think it's very unfortunate at a time that there are American hostages being held in Gaza," Pence added. “I cannot, in good faith, endorse Trump,” the former US Vice President maintained.

“I think it’s very unfortunate. At a time that there are American hostages being held in Gaza, that the President or any other leaders would refer to people that are moving through our justice system as hostages,” said Pence. “And it’s just, it’s just unacceptable,” Pence reiterated.

As the MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol building to halt the certification of the then Democratic candidate Joe Biden, they chanted outside the building,“Hang Mike Pence!” The former US VP slammed Trump for falsely claiming that Pence had the power to halt the certification process.

“I was there on January 6. I have no doubt in my mind that some people were caught up in the moment and that entered the Capitol and they’re certainly entitled to due process of law for any nonviolent activities that day,” Pence told the moderator. “But the assaults on police officers ultimately in an environment that claimed lives is something that I think was tragic that day, and I’ll never diminish it.”

Republican frontrunner for the 2024 US election, Trump earlier referred to Jan. 6 prisoners as hostages. He said, “They’ve been treated terribly and very unfairly, and you know that, and everybody knows that. And we’re going to be working on that soon, the first day we get into office, we’re going to save our country, and we’re going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots and they were unbelievable patriots and are.”