



Yesterday, Mother Jones reported that three former models employed by Donald Trump’s modeling agency worked in the United States illegally. The bombshell allegations from this investigation, which include the claim that Trump Model Management even encouraged models to lie to customs officials about their visits, flies in the face of the GOP nominee’s tough stance on immigration, which is hard line despite Trump’s recent vacillations. They also appear the same week Trump will go to Mexico to speak to the country’s president and deliver a speech his campaign says will clarify his position on immigration once and for all.

But according to Trump’s vice presidential pick Mike Pence, the issues concerning a Trump business allegedly skirting immigration laws aren’t even worth discussing. When asked about the Mother Jones report on CNN Wednesday morning, Pence immediately deflected, describing the apparent hypocrisy as a “sidebar issue.”

“I am very confident that this business, like the other Trump businesses, has conformed to the laws of this country,” Pence told Alisyn Camerota. “These sidebar issues that come up, his business enterprise can address those and I’m confident they’ll address them forthrightly.”