Ex-Pence Adviser Says She'd Be 'in Jail' If She Took Documents Like Trump

Olivia Troye, a former homeland security adviser to ex-Vice President Mike Pence, said Sunday that she would be "in jail" if she took classified documents from the White House like former President Donald Trump.

FBI agents searched Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago residence on August 8 in search of classified documents allegedly being improperly stored at the property. They seized 20 boxes that allegedly contained classified documents, which experts have warned were vulnerable to foreign espionage. Trump and his allies, however, have said the search is politically motivated.

Troye, who has become a vocal critic of Trump and the direction of the Republican Party since leaving the White House in 2020, said during a CNN appearance that if she took documents from the White House, she would have faced severe punishment.

"I would be in jail," she said. "I would be answering questions afterwards, to be honest. Honestly, even when finding classified information outside of where it should be stored, there was a responsibility to actually report that—to turn it in and self-report. That is how seriously we take this."

Troye added that she "saw people get walked out of the Pentagon for much less" during her time working at the White House. Her remarks come after Trump addressed the search during his rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night—his first rally since the FBI raid.

"The FBI and the Justice Department have become vicious monsters controlled by radical left scoundrels lawyers and the media who tell them what to do—you people right there—and when to do it," Trump said.

On Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released an inventory of what FBI agents found inside Mar-a-Lago. Alongside highly classified documents, they also found dozens of empty folders labeled as classified and more than 10,000 other government documents lacking a classification marking, according to the Associated Press.

The inventory, however, did not specify the exact nature of the classified documents. Legal analyst Glenn Kirschner questioned on Friday whether or not Trump might have sold the missing documents, adding that if he did, he should be arrested for doing so.

Troye Defends Biden's Speech

President Joe Biden took aim at Trump and his supporters during a speech in Philadelphia on Thursday about the "battle for the soul of the nation." During the fiery speech, he condemned what he views as anti-Democratic posturing from the Republican Party. He blasted them for attacking the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, opposing abortion rights, and trying "to take this country backwards." Many in the GOP have condemned the speech, as Biden faces accusations of being partisan and divisive.

On Saturday, Troye warned the Trump-aligned wing of the Republican Party is "dangerous" during an MSNBC appearance, where she defended Biden's anti-MAGA speech.

"Many of us agree. There are many of us Republican voters who are not the right-wing crazy that is taking over the party that is damaging, I would say, to the party," Troye said. "We don't identify with that at all. And I think as long as they continue to do this, they will lose."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment.