Vice President Kamala Harris, who formerly served as a prosecutor, on Wednesday morning declined to say whether she believed ex-President Donald Trump, who was recently acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, ought to be criminally charged for inciting the violent insurrection at the Capitol last month.
Harris told NBC’s “TODAY” that she was “focused on what we need to do to get relief to American families,” which is her “highest priority.”
“It’s our administration’s highest priority,” she said. “It’s our job. It’s the job we were elected to do, and that’s my focus.”
The vice president demurred again when asked if she as an ex-prosecutor believed there was a strong case for pursuing criminal charges against Trump.
“I haven’t reviewed the case through the lens of being a prosecutor,” she said. “I’m reviewing the case of COVID in America through the lens of being the vice president of America.”
Harris’ remarks fall in line with President Joe Biden’s refusal to publicly take a stance on the question of whether his predecessor ought to be prosecuted. The White House has signaled that it would be up to the Justice Department to decide.
“We’re doing something new here and there’s going to be an independent Justice Department to determine any path forward and any investigation, what that would look like,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.
Biden has vowed to depoliticize the Justice Department after Trump spent four years weaponizing it to rescue allies and pursue politically motivated investigations.
Watch Harris below:
Do you think that President Trump should be criminally charged? –@SavannahGuthrie asks @VP pic.twitter.com/YhFHA26BuG
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 17, 2021
