Mike Pence confident FBI didn’t orchestrate Jan. 6

Ex-vice president Mike Pence has denied claims put forward by ex-president Donald Trump that the FBI had a hand in plotting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Pence, who was trapped in the Capitol when the attacks happened, with some rioters even calling for his lynching, stated there was no evidence to suggest that the FBI orchestrated these events. “The FBI director has frequently reassured the public that the bureau did not instigate the Jan. 6 riot,” Pence pointed out on CNN's “State of the Union” this Sunday. He further praised the FBI's work in arresting and prosecuting almost a thousand individuals who participated in the attacks. Trump, at a recent Hawkeye State rally, referred to those arrested for the riot as “hostages." During an earlier gathering in Sioux Center, Iowa, he alleged that the FBI and Antifa were among the instigators. These comments were attacked by biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who criticized Trump's remarks about the riot's three-year anniversary as "Entrapment Day." Top law enforcement officials, such as FBI director Christopher Wray, have vigorously denied allegations that they planned the riot. While condemning the riot's violence, Pence warned current President Biden that focusing too much on it won't be effective in the 2024 election. He also talked warmly about Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Chris Christie and didn't rule out endorsing one of them in the future. However, there was no mention of Trump or Ramaswamy, both of whom have had disagreements with Pence in past GOP debates. Relations between Pence and Trump soured after the former refused to decertify the 2020 election, despite pressure from Trump and his supporters. Pence, who visited Sderot in Israel recently, had earlier expressed interest in running for the 2024 GOP nomination, but withdrew from consideration last October. Iowa is scheduled to hold its first caucus on Jan. 15.