The former VP said the sexual assault case is «another story about my ex-partner that, like me, know, is an excellent admiration for representatives of the national media.” Credit: AP
Mike Pence said he «never heard or witnessed» Donald Trump's inappropriate behavior following the sentencing in the former president's sexual harassment case.
Mr. Pence said : «In my four and a half years working alongside the President, I have never heard or witnessed this kind of behavior.»
The decision of Mr. Pence, a possible rival of Mr. Trump, to avoid criticism of the former president, was harsh as many Republicans chose to remain silent on the case.
However, some senior Republicans said the verdict cast doubt on Trump's ability to retake the White House in 2024. .
Trump, 76, was ordered to pay $5 million in damages to 79-year-old advice columnist E. Jean Carroll on Tuesday after a jury in New York found he raped her in mid-1990s.
the jury also ruled that he had slandered her when he later denied her story, but dismissed the writer's claim that Mr. Trump raped her. > Jean Carroll (right) leaves Manhattan Federal Court after winning a civil suit against former President Donald Trump. Photo: Getty Images North America
Ms. Carroll said she was «overwhelmed» for the women after the verdict.
“It's not about the money. It's about getting my name back, and that's what we've achieved,» she said on NBC.
“Of all the cases this man faces, all the legal quagmire… all the prosecutors, all the special attorneys, all the investigators, and what happened yesterday is a little 5ft 9in little blond scheming female lawyer…and one 79- the summer tips columnist defeated Donald Trump in court.”
Trump intends to appeal the verdict and has signaled that this will not interfere with his presidential campaign. He remains the leader in the 2024 Republican primary.
Pence, 63, said the case is irrelevant to Americans who are struggling with persistently high inflation affecting food and gas prices.
>The sexual assault case is «another story dedicated to my ex-partner, which I know gets a lot of admiration from the national media, but I just don't think that's what the American people are focused on,» he told NBC. News.
The verdict may have a negative impact on the presidential candidacy.
Polls show Trump leading by a wide margin over his nearest rival for the Republican nomination. But analysts warn that the assault verdict could hurt his chances in the general election.
While Pence has defended his former president, other Republicans have been more outspoken about the impact of the civil lawsuit on Trump's ability to win the next presidential election. .
Sen. John Thune, the second Republican in the House, said Trump's numerous legal threats have a «cumulative effect.»
Trump faces several criminal investigations in connection with his attempts to cancel the 2020 election. to hush up cash payments to women suspected of having affairs and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
People will have to decide if they want to deal with all this drama, Mr. Thune said.
John Cornyn, a Republican senator from Texas, said he did not believe Trump could become president. He said, «He has a solid support base, but you can't win the general election with your base alone.» » /> Donald Trump called the jury's decision «a disgrace» and called it the «greatest witch hunt of all time»
The stigma of a sexual predator enshrined in the verdict can do serious damage to female voters, especially suburban women, a key demographic group which the Republicans need to influence to win the general election in 18 months.
Don Bacon, Republican Senator, predicted that Trump would «sink» and «not win the White House.»
«I will see very dark clouds on the horizon if he becomes a candidate,» he added.
>Mitt Romney, Utah Senator and outspoken critic of Trump, told CNN that a jury of Trump colleagues «found him guilty of sexual harassment and awarded the victim $5 million.»
«I hope that the jury of the American people came to the same conclusion regarding Donald Trump,” he said.
While Romney's outcry was predictable, the silence of Trump supporters in Congress following Tuesday's verdict was just as devastating. Republican nominee.
These include one of Trump's most vocal defenders, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green.
Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the Republican House of Representatives, would not be prosecuted whether he will continue to support Mr. Trump.
This is in stark contrast to the outpouring of support for Mr. Trump since his criminal indictment earlier this year, when his defense lawyers were quick to denounce accusations of paying for silence as a political «witch hunt».
However, Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina senator and a prominent Trump ally, said New York's legal system has «gone derailed when it comes to Donald Trump.»
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Responding to the verdict on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the jury's decision a «disgrace» and called it «the greatest witch hunt of all time.»
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