Pence says after federal indictment Tuesday that Trump 'should never be president'

Former Vice President Mike Pence said late Tuesday following another criminal indictment against former President Donald Trump that he "should never be president."

"Today's indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States," Pence said in a series of tweets following Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith earlier in the evening handing down an indictment on Trump in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. 

Smith has also charged Trump in federal court with the illegal retention of top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago. And in New York, Trump faces criminal charges in a hush money case and a civil trial over his business practices, according to the Associated Press. 

Pence was Trump's vice president. He presided over Congress certifying the Elector College votes that showed Trump was defeated by Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 elections when the Jan. 6 riot occurred.

He has long been critical of the riot and Trump's connection, including that Trump tried to pressure him into not certifying the results.

They are now competing against each other for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

"I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment," Pence also said Tuesday. "The former president is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But with this indictment, his candidacy means more talk about January 6th and more distractions."