Trump Defends Supporters Who Chanted ‘Hang Mike Pence’ In Taped Interview
Former President Donald Trump has defended his supporters who threatened to “hang” former vice president Mike Pence during the January 6 Capitol riot, Axios reported on Friday citing an unreleased ABC News interview, marking the first instance of the former president vocally defending violent threats towards his deputy who refused to stall the certification of the election results.
When asked by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl if he was worried about Pence during the January 6 siege of the Capitol, Trump said he thought the former vice president was “well-protected” and was in a “good shape,” Axios reported.
When asked further about Pence’s safety, Trump noted that “people were very angry.”
But when pressed specifically about chants of “hang Mike Pence,” Trump refused to denounce it and instead said: “how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress? How can you do that?”
According to Axios, the taped interview is scheduled to air on Sunday.