Mike Pence Breaks With Trump Over Jan. 6 Compensation Fund

Pence’s comments come after Trump agreed Monday to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the creation of a $1.8 billion taxpayer-backed compensation fund for Americans who claim they were victims of government “weaponization.”

The broad language surrounding the agreement has raised questions about who could qualify for compensation, including whether some Jan. 6 defendants might be eligible.

Trump has long defended many Jan. 6 participants, referring to them as “patriots” and “hostages,” while critics have argued many were violent rioters who attacked police officers and disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

After returning to office, Trump issued pardons and commutations to hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants.

Pence has consistently drawn a sharp distinction between peaceful Trump supporters and those who engaged in violence that day.