Mike Pence defended his behavior and that of the Capitol Police on Jan. 6 in an interview Friday.

Tucker Carlson conducted the interview with the 2024 presidential hopeful at the Blaze Media Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. It is the former Fox News anchor's attempt to circumvent the first GOP primary debate being hosted by his former employer, by claiming to be the "first presidential forum" per its website.

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“All I know for sure, having lived through it at the Capitol, is that it was a tragic day. I’ve never used the word insurrection, Tucker, over the last two years, but it was a riot that took place at the Capitol that day," Pence explained when Carlson asked him about Jan 6. "And I’ll always believe that by God’s grace, I did my duty that day under the Constitution of the United States of America and our institutions held.”

Pence went on to call Ashli Babbit's death "a tragic loss of life" while also lamenting that 150 Capitol Officers were assaulted that day. Carlson pushed him on the topic, asking Pence to share what he thought about the fact that Babbit was shot.

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"I have to tell you that seeing people assaulting law enforcement officers, smashing windows, breaking into the Capitol Building, it infuriated me," Pence responded. "And it’s very likely that the restraint that was shown by law enforcement officers saved lives that day.”

Pence is facing off against former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Texas representative Will Hurd, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, political commentator Larry Elder, businessman Perry Johnson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the race to win the GOP presidential nomination.