"There will be no path to legalization and no path to citizenship. Donald Trump will articulate what we do with the people who are here," Pence said. | Getty Pence ducks deportation questions

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly avoided clarifying whether his running mate, Republican nominee Donald Trump, still wants to deport all undocumented immigrants in the United States or only criminals.

In an interview with host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union," Pence insisted Trump's position on immigration has remained consistent. Yet after hearing clips of Trump earlier in the campaign promising to deport all undocumented immigrants, Pence refused to say whether that is still the plan.


Trump's comments in the past week appeared to backtrack from deporting everyone to deporting only those who have committed a crime, angering conservatives who were drawn to his initial tough stance. Pressed by Tapper, Pence said Trump's call for deportation was "a mechanism, not a policy," and the campaign would detail its policy in the coming weeks. The election is in 72 days, Tapper responded.

"There will be no change in the principle here," Pence said. "There will be no path to legalization and no path to citizenship. Donald Trump will articulate what we do with the people who are here."

Pence also responding to remarks from his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Tim Kaine, linking Trump's values to the Ku Klux Klan's. Pence called the tack an act of desperation. Kaine's and Hillary Clinton's efforts to put "some sort of racist intention" on Trump supporters is "deeply offensive," Pence said. He said Trump doesn't want the support of people like David Duke, the former KKK leader who has spoken highly of Trump.

Asked about the controversial Associated Press review of Clinton's schedules at the State Department showing meetings with foundation donors, Pence said, "Access is a favor," and the meetings are "an example of the pay-to-play politics that the American people are sick and tired of." He called for a special prosecutor to investigate after the Justice Department declined.

Pence also tried to clean up Trump's widely criticized tweet saying the murder of a woman walking her baby in Chicago would lead African-Americans to vote for him. Pence said Trump meant voters have a clear choice between failed liberal policies and change.

He waved off stories about domestic violence charges against Trump's new campaign executive, Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon, saying voters don't care so much about "process" stories.