Former President Mike Pence pushed back on efforts during an interview this week to get him to commit to pardoning former President Donald Trump if the former president ends up getting convicted in the federal criminal case.

Pence made the remarks during an interview on the “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” on Wednesday when asked about Trump being indicted on 37 felony counts for his alleged retention of national defense information, his alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation, and for allegedly lying to prosecutors in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

Co-host Clay Travis pressed Pence to commit to pardoning Trump, declaring that the charges were political in nature. Former Trump Attorney General William Barr, who has defended Trump against other instances of political persecution, has strongly pushed back on claims that Trump is the victim in this case.

“Well, first off, these are serious charges,” Pence said. “And as I said, I can’t defend what’s been alleged, but the president does deserve to make his defense. And I would say to each one of you, look, I’ve been a former governor. I’ve actually granted pardons to people and I take the pardon authority very seriously. It’s an enormously important power of someone in an executive position. And I just think it’s premature to have any conversation about that right now.”

Travis claimed that Pence’s decision to let the legal process play out before making a decision was “not stepping up on the front of leadership.”

“I don’t think you know what the president’s defense is, do you?” Pence fired back. “I mean, what are the facts? I mean, look, we either believe in our judicial process in this country or we don’t. We either stand by the rule of law or we don’t.”

Travis appeared to take things personally, claiming that Pence was being “pretty disrespectful” over the issue.

Mike Pence refused to answer if he’d pardon Donald Trump on @clayandbuck today. And things got a bit heated as I pressed him on why he wouldn’t answer. Enjoy: pic.twitter.com/VTbzDK6lYR

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 14, 2023

Pence told Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro on Wednesday that Trump being arrested in Miami this week “was a sad day in the life of this nation.”

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“I mean, literally, to see a former President of the United States in the dock and face charges in a criminal indictment, I think is deeply discouraging to millions of Americans,” Pence said. “That being said, you know, no one’s above the law. And as Americans, we’re innocent until proven guilty and I had the opportunity to review the indictment over the weekend. And I will tell you, these are serious charges and I can’t defend what is alleged, but the president deserves his day in court.”

The former vice president told Shapiro that the case was taking place against the backdrop of “years of politicization in the Department of Justice” and that it was “hard to believe politics didn’t play a role” in the case. He said that, if elected president, he would clean house and restore confidence that there was equal treatment under the law at the DOJ.

United States Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt admitted during a recent Department of Defense (DoD) LGBTQ+ PRIDE event that she would allow access to “gender-affirming care” to take priority over qualifications when assigning officers.

Burt referenced several states that have passed laws banning transgender surgeries — and in some cases, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones — for minors, and said that while she would normally consider job performance and qualifications before selecting officers for certain jobs, she had to also consider whether her troops and their families would feel safe in those assignments.

WATCH:

The @DeptofDefense "pride" event last week gets more bizarre with scrutiny.

Thread:

1. Here, LTG Burt openly admits she lets supposed concerns over "anti-LGBTQ+ laws in a state" about "healthcare" dictate personnel choices, even if it means choosing a less-qualified officer. pic.twitter.com/O5zc2yku9P

— William Thibeau (@WilliamThibeau) June 14, 2023

“Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait,” Burt began. “Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level. That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.”

“When I look at potential candidates, say for Squadron command, I strive to match the right person to the right job,” she continued, adding, “I consider their job performance and relevant experience first. However, I also look at their personal circumstances, and their family is also an important factor. If a good match for a job does not feel safe being themselves and performing at their highest potential at a given location, or if their family could be denied critical health care due to the laws in that state, I am compelled to consider a different candidate, perhaps less qualified.”

Space Force veteran Lt. Col Matt Lohmeier — who was relieved of command after he said on a conservative podcast that Marxism was infiltrating the U.S. military — argued in a tweet that Burt had actually done what he was fired for doing.

“I was once fired from command in the @SpaceForceDoD for allegedly ‘being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.’ That allegation was totally false,” he said. “Lt. Gen. Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really looks like.”

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I was once fired from command in the @SpaceForceDoD for allegedly “being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.” That allegation was totally false.

Lt Gen Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really… https://t.co/cghkdMhsFn

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 14, 2023

Burt’s comments suggest that the Defense Department — or at least the U.S. Space Force — is leaning into politics in a way that could potentially be more damaging to overall force readiness if she is truly willing to consider a service member’s access to transgender surgeries and hormones at a given duty station over their fitness for that particular job.

In the U.S. Army’s “Soldier’s Creed,” one line reads, “I will always place the mission first.” Burt’s statement suggests that catering to the LGBTQ+ community comes first, and the “mission” is secondary.