Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) on Wednesday cast doubt on the very real threat that was posed to then-Vice President Mike Pence when pro-Donald Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Some Trump supporters chanted “Hang Mike Pence!” as they searched for the VP in the corridors of Congress. They were seeking vengeance after Pence chose democracy over Trump when he refused to block the certification of electoral votes in Trump’s bid to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

At one point, Pence was reportedly just 40 feet from rioters as Secret Service agents whisked him away to an underground loading dock.

But Vance told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he was “truly skeptical” that Pence’s life “was ever in danger.”

Vance’s claim came after Collins noted he was a potential Trump running mate and asked if Trump’s treatment of Pence gave him “any pause” about taking on the possible role.

“I think politics and politics people like to really exaggerate things from time to time,” Vance told Collins.

Collins suggested Pence “would disagree.”

“A lot of folks in the Democratic Party, Kaitlan, act as if Jan. 6 was the scariest moment of their lives,” Vance responded. “I think Jan. 6 was a bad day. It was a riot. But the idea that Donald Trump endangered anyone’s lives when he told them to protest peacefully, it’s just absurd.”

Collins noted the chants against Pence.

“Well, Kaitlan, did a few people say some bad things? Sure,” admitted Vance. “But do we blame Donald Trump for every bad thing that’s ever been said by a participant in American democracy? I think that’s an absurd standard.”

Watch the full interview here: