Donald Trump is introducing Mike Pence as his running mate, calling Indiana’s governor “his first choice” to join him on the Republican presidential ticket.
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Pushing back on those reports, Trump said Pence was “my first choice” for the running mate slot.
“I’ve admired the work he’s done”, he said.
Trump introduced Pence as his No. 2 on Saturday, passing over candidates with whom he has a more personal connection in favor of an experienced politician with solid conservative credentials.
The presumptive Republican nominee took time to comment on the recent terrorist attack in Nice, France and the turmoil in Turkey, blaming presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and President Obama for the unrest and terrorism across the world.
The Trump campaign plans to announce that Pence will start traveling as Trump’s running mate with his own team of professional operatives led by Nick Ayers, a well-connected strategist who had been serving as Pence’s main consultant in his gubernatorial re-election campaign.
“Let’s come together as a party as a movement to make America great again”, Pence also said, while suggesting that he knew as early as Wednesday that he would be the nominee.
“Donald Trump is a good man and he will make a great president of the United States of America”.
One of Trump’s signature campaign anecdotes happened under Pence’s watch-about Carrier Corporation eliminating 1,400 jobs at its Indianapolis air conditioner plant and moving production to low-wage Mexico. There were no “Trump-Pence” signs in the room, which appeared dark and somewhat subdued on television. That, perhaps, is more plausible because Mr Pence holds many (actually all) of the radical conservative views that, in the view of the right flank of the party, Mr Trump is lacking. Ted Cruz before the IN primary, implying that the governor was acting on behalf of outside interests and noting that Pence’s endorsement of Cruz included significant praise for Trump. Trump saw the horror on TV and impulsively tweeted a postponement of his planned announcement. A steady conservative with extensive governing experience, Pence may also serve to reassure Republicans who are skeptical about Trump’s conservative bona fides.
Donald Trump is poised to officially name his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.
“Short answer for you – absolutely none”, Cardwell said.
“I don’t think there’s been a more interesting time in IN politics in Republican IN politics in my lifetime”, said Jennifer Hallowell, Republican Strategist.
He said: “Given the options, Pence was the really the only one who delivered any amount of value to the campaign”.
He brags that they’ve been “crushed”.
Asked if Mexico would pay for a wall along the nation’s southern border, Pence said: “Absolutely”. He rose to leadership and served as the chairman of the entire House Republican Conference.
CBS News has the latest updates from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
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Yet getting to that moment of party unity was chaotic, with numerous twists and turns playing out in public – and not in a way the spotlight-seeking Trump prefers.
