Former VP Mike Pence blasts Trump, 'crackpot lawyers' following indictment

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Mike Pence is blasting his ex boss Donald Trump, along with his "crackpot lawyers," one day after the former president was indicted for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Pence, who is running against Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, told reporters Wednesday at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis that Trump was surrounded by people who told him only what his "itching ears" wanted to hear, leading up to Jan. 6, 2021.

"I was fully prepared to make sure that we heard all the arguments and concerns the members of Congress had brought, but because of the riot and because of the assertion by the president and his crackpot lawyers that I could overturn the election, the violence that ensued eclipsed all of that," Pence said.

While Pence cautioned that Trump is "entitled to a presumption of innocence" under the indictment, he did not hold back when responding to allegations that Trump tried to install fake electors in some states.

"I really do believe that anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States," Pence said. "And anyone who asks someone else to put themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again."

Pence blasted his former boss and political rival again, during an interview with Fox News.

"President Trump and his gaggle of crackpot lawyers asked me to reject electoral votes and chaos would have ensued," Pence wrote in a post on X.

"Let's be clear on this point. It wasn't that they asked for a pause. The president specifically asked me and his gaggle of crackpot lawyers asked me to literally reject votes, which would have resulted in the issue being turned over to the House of Representatives," Pence told Fox News.

"To keep the faith with the oath that I made to the American people and to Almighty God, I did my duty that day," he added.

Trump lawyer John Lauro told CNN Tuesday that Trump asked Pence to "simply pause the voting" on Jan. 6, which was "nothing inherently unconstitutional or illegal about that."

Pence fired back on Wednesday.

"The American people deserve to know that President Trump and his advisers didn't just ask me to pause. They asked me to reject votes, return votes, essentially to overturn the election," Pence replied.

Trump joined the debate Wednesday with his own take in a post on Truth Social, arguing Pence was not aware of his powers as vice president.

"I feel badly for Mike Pence, who is attracting no crowds, enthusiasm, or loyalty from people who, as a member of the Trump administration, should be loving him. He didn't fight against Election Fraud, which we will now be easily able to prove based on the most recent Fake Indictment & information which will have to be made available to us, finally -- a really BIG deal," Trump wrote in the post.

"The V.P. had power that Mike didn't understand, but after the Election, the RINOS & Dems changed the law, taking that power away!"