Former US President Donald Trump argued that his ex-VP Mike Pence was "well-protected" at the times when chants calling to hang him had been rattling near the besieged Capitol on 6 January, according to a new audio outtake released by ABC News.
According to Trump, Pence was "in good shape," and the former president did not worry about his safety because of it.
When ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Trump about the "terrible" chants, the former president defended the rioters, saying that "people were angry."
"Because it's common sense, Jon,” Trump is heard saying. “It's common sense that you're supposed to protect. How can you — if you know a vote is fraudulent, right? — how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?”
Trump and Pence had not been on good terms since the latter refused to give in to the former president's demands not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump continues to claim that the White House race was "rigged" by the Democrats, who allegedly facilitated a massive "election fraud."
The same sentiment was shared by violent rioters who stormed the Capitol building on 6 January, protesting the certification of the election results. The Capitol siege left 5 people dead, among them one Capitol police officer.
In June, Pence said that he and Trump "have spoken many times" since the Capitol riot, but never met face-to-face.