Former Vice President and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence refused to say Sunday whether he’d pardon Donald Trump, suggesting that the question presumed guilt.

He took a jab at primary opponents by saying anyone vowing to pardon the former president is speaking prematurely.

“Let me say first and foremost, I don’t know why some of my competitors in the Republican primary presume the president will be found guilty,” Mr. Pence said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “All we know is what the president has been accused of in the indictment. We don’t know what his defense is. We don’t know if this will even go to trial. It could be subject to a motion to dismiss. We don’t know what the verdict will be …”

Mr. Trump has been charged with 37 federal crimes related to keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort after leaving office and obstruction of justice.

White House hopefuls like Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley have said they’d pardon Mr. Trump if he were found guilty, though a trial is unlikely to conclude before the election.

“I just think this whole matter is incredibly divisive for the country,” Mr. Pence said. “I just think at the end of the day, it is saddening to me that we are now in this moment.”

• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.