Mike Pence, lead Donald Trump enabler, seems to be issuing a rather weak defense of the idea the Trump campaign might have colluded with the Russians to hack the U.S. election. His approach to the subject seems to be a straight line defense of Mike Pence himself, and his role. From CBS:
Vice President Mike Pence says he "never witnessed" any evidence of collusion between the Russian government and Trump campaign officials during the 2016 campaign, and reaffirmed his commitment to cooperating with the special counsel's investigation into Russian election interference and possible Russian ties to the Trump organization.
During his visit to a Christian mission in Cartagena, Colombia on Monday, Pence told reporters "during all of my experience on the campaign, I never witnessed any evidence of collusion or any of the allegations, I'm not aware of that ever having occurred."
Pence again added that he, Mike Pence, was not personally aware:
"I made it very clear I am not aware of any contacts during the time that I was on the campaign between any officials of the Russian government and officials with the campaign, and I stand by that," reiterated Pence.
He added, "I think I was very clear what I spoke about on television is precisely what Michael Flynn had told me and I believe the president was right to move him out of the White House."
Not exactly a full-throated defense of the Trump campaign, is it? And for what it’s worth, Mike Pence led the Trump transition team and oversaw the hiring of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In fact, Rep. Elijah Cummings sent a formal letter to Mike Pence and the Trump campaign specifically to warn them about Flynn.
Assertions from Vice President Mike Pence that he did not know of former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s work on behalf of foreign governments until he learned of them in media reports have just two explanations, Rep. Elijah Cummings said Friday. “Either he's not telling the truth, or he was running a sloppy shop.”
Cummings, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, noted during a Friday interview on CNN’s “New Day” that he had sent a letter to Pence, then chairman of President Donald Trump’s transition team, last November regarding Flynn’s ties to the Turkish government. Cummings received a receipt from the transition team’s office of legislative affairs, confirming they had received the letter and pledging to “review your letter carefully.”