Appearing on MSNBC on Sunday afternoon, an aide who previously worked for former Vice President Mike Pence accused him of using elements of the "big lie" that the 2020 presidential election was stolen to create interest in his 2024 presidential aspirations -- while at the same time keeping his distance from Donald Trump ravings on the same topic.
Speaking with host Alex Witt, Olivia Troye -- Homeland Security and Counterterrorism advisor to Pence -- said that her former boss is still a "part of the big lie."
"I know you can't get inside of his head, but you do know how he approached things. How did he feel about Donald Trump?" host Witt asked.
"I certainly saw Mike Pence be very frustrated at times and he knows exactly who Donald Trump is and that is what makes Mike Pence difficult to understand in many ways on why you would continue to stand by this person [Trump] still today," Troye attempted.
"Because he still repeats a lot of the talking points that Trump uses, election integrity, he is still part of the big lie that almost led to his family and life of others, law enforcement and other people who were killed that day on January 6th," she continued. "So I think that's a complicated scenario when it comes to Mike Pence. At the end of the day I don't separate him too much from Trump, especially these days, because when you're part of the big lie and you're part of the behavior that's leading to a lot of the dangers across America that continue to unfold, violence and division and hate, you're equally as responsible for it."
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