Indiana Governor Mike Pence poses for selfies with supporters at a news conference where he was introduced as the vice presidential running mate by Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York City, U.S., July 16, 2016. “He is a solid, solid person”. Trump called Pence his “partner” and “a man of honor”, and Pence called Trump a “builder”, a “fighter”, and a “patriotic American”.
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John McCain and Mitt Romney, the last two Republican presidential candidates, will also stay away.
“So one of the primary reasons I chose Mike was I looked at IN, and I won IN big”, Trump said. “People who know me well, know I’m a pretty basic guy: I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican – in that order”. Lowry calls it “an utterly standard Republican speech”, adding “if the GOP establishment closed its eyes during his speech it could briefly pretend that this is a normal ticket”.
Trump talked about Pence’s record as governor of IN, saying he admired the work he had done there, citing the low unemployment rate, the increased labor force, private sector job growth and Indiana’s budget. Trump was reportedly impressed with his calm demeanor and experience.
Trump, a newcomer who has ruffled too many feathers to count, could rely on Pence’s seasoned experience as a politician.
Take the Iraq war, where Trump once again falsely said that his position was, “Don’t go into Iraq”, even though he once expressed support for the war.
Following speculation that Trump’s children had pushed their father to pick Pence, he insisted the governor was his “first choice”.
Trump appeared with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence at a midtown Manhattan hotel, an unofficial kickoff event to the Republican National Convention two days before it opens in Cleveland. “They want the wall”.
It was Pence who signed into law Indiana’s religious freedom bill, which said businesses had the right to decline participating in same-sex marriages.
While Trump showcases his choice, Democrat Hillary Clinton’s team is already painting Pence’s conservative social viewpoints as out of step with the mainstream.
Pence’s debut on Trump’s ticket was originally scheduled for Friday, but following attacks in Nice, France on Thursday, Trump rescheduled the news conference for Saturday. But the first joint appearance between Donald Trump and his new running mate seemed nearly an afterthought. He used that interview to praise all three finalists: Pence, Gingrich and Christie.
The Indiana governor has been a longtime advocate of trade deals such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, both aggressively opposed by Trump.
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Priebus told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Trump is calling for a temporary ban on immigration from countries that harbour and train terrorists until the US has a better vetting system. He also endorsed Sen.
