The criminal prosecution against former US President Donald Trump sends a “bad message” to the world about her american justice and that prosecution will encourage dictators to abuse power, former US Vice President Mike Pence argued today.

“There are dictators and authoritarian leaders around the world who will invoke this to justify their own abusive methods to the detriment of their own so-called justice system, so I’m very concerned about that,” Pence said speaking at a National Review’s Ideas conference.

The statements by Pence – who served as vice president under Trump’s presidency – add to the reactions of other Republicans who described the criminal prosecution of the tycoon former president as “disgraceful”.

Trump became the first former president in US history to face criminal charges. This was brought against him in the case of buying the silence of former porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.