Roll Call broke the news on twitter just after noon on Thursday.
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Pence was seen getting out of a plane and into an SUV at a New York-area airport Thursday afternoon. His staff had not released details of any other planned appearances Thursday.
“The convention’s theme”, according to the event’s CEO Jeff Larson, will be Trump’s campaign promise to “Make America Great Again”. The Indiana governor has been a supporter of Trump’s since he became the presumptive nominee. His campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is now in Cleveland, and none of his children are in the state with him.
Trump will formally announce his vice presidential pick today, with three days to go until Republicans gather in Cleveland, Ohio to officially select the White House nominee who will face Hillary Clinton in November.
And of course, Trump being Trump, there’s always a chance he could strut out on stage tomorrow, launch into a speech about how he hates the way his maid slices tomatoes, forget about announcing anything, and then hastily wave his hands and name his wife as running mate because she happens to be standing right there. It included Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie, two reported finalists for the job, but excluded Pence.
“I served several years with Mike Pence in the Congress, and I think very highly of him”, said Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville. “I’m really not publicly speculating about it”.
Not so long ago, their relationship was a little awkward.
After endorsing Cruz, the governor later called on Republicans to unite behind Mr Trump’s nomination. Like Pence, Sen. Bernie Sanders had voted in favor of the legislation that protects gun manufactures from lawsuits.
“Given the nature of Trump, it’s hard to imagine that any vice president would be a partner”. In light of the attack in Nice, France Trump tweets he is postponing his vice presidential announcement.
More than $300,000 of that came from the billionaire Koch brothers, strong advocates of small government and fiscal conservatism who took a liking to Pence.
Pence is best known nationally for signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, which opponents said opened the door for legal discrimination against gays.
Pence’s one term as governor has drawn mixed reaction, and he has managed to alienate moderate Republicans over social issues.
Groups threatened boycotts over last year’s religious objections law and late-night television hosts mocked the policy, leading lawmakers to approve changes.
Until now Pence has been waging an uphill battle to win re-election in Indiana.
Pence’s elevation in the political world comes as he faced a tight race in Indiana.
Pence has also cut taxes and balanced Indiana’s budget during his time in office.
Pence was born into a family of Irish Catholic Democrats in 1959.
After attending Hanover College, Pence graduated from Indiana University Law School in 1986. His grandfather, whom Pence is named for, was a Chicago bus driver who emigrated to Ellis Island from Ireland. Pence expanded Medicaid coverage in IN, a decision that irritates many Republicans. Gingrich posted a Facebook Live video discussing the vetting process for vice presidential candidates.
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Other possibilities (Senators Joni Ernst and Bob Corker and (reportedly) former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice) said no.
