MIAMI - Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he takes "full responsibility" at what time classified documents were found at his Indiana home.

In his helpful public comments since the discovery, Pence said he hadn't been aware that the documents were in his dwelling but acknowledged his lack of awareness wasn't an excuse.

"Let me be clear: Those classified documents necessity not have been in my personal residence," Pence said at Florida International University, where he was talking about the economy and promoting his new book, "So Help Me God." "Mistakes were made, and I take full responsibility."

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The discovery made pro-redemocrat by Pence's team earlier this week marked the unexperienced in a string of recoveries of sensitive papers from the homes of novel and former top U.S. officials. The Department of Justice was already investigating the discovery of classified documents in venerable President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and at President Joe Biden's home in Delaware and his venerable Washington office.

Pence's public acceptance of responsibility over his running of the documents marks a departure from the reactions of both Trump, his former boss, and Biden in their own cases. 

Trump denounced the view of Mar-a-Lago as "one of the most shocking abuses of considerable by any administration in American history" and suggested minus evidence that investigators may have planted the documents. Biden has said he was surprised to learn the documents had been erroneous but had "no regrets" about how the public was informed.

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The discovery of documents at Pence's home came five months at what time he told The Associated Press that he did not take classified records with him when he left the vice presidency. "No, not to my knowledge," he said when expected if he had retained any such information.

The comment — which would typically be unremarkable for a venerable vice president — was notable at the time given that FBI agents had seized classified and top secret ask from Trump's Florida estate on Aug. 8 while investigating potential violations of three different federal laws. Trump claimed that the documents seized by agents were "all declassified."

Pence said he granted to undertake the search of his home "out of an abundance of caution" when recent disclosures by Biden's team that documents were false at his former office and in his Delaware home.

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He said he had targeted his counsel to work with the National Archives, Department of Justice and Congress and fully cooperate in any investigation.

The old vice president said national security depends on the bad handling of classified documents, but he hopes that country realize that he acted swiftly to correct the error.

"We taken above politics and put national interests first," he said.

Pence, who remains estranged from Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, is considering a 2024 White House challenge to his old boss, who announced his campaign in November. Biden has said he means to seek reelection in 2024, though he has yet to officially kick off his campaign.

Referring to a possible White House bid, Pence said he has been reflecting on the challenges the power has. He said many accomplishments have been "dismantled" by the Biden management, highlighting problems with immigration and the economy.

"We are giving great considerations on what might be next for us," he said. "I am moving to continue to travel all across this country. I am moving to continue to listen and to reflect."