“The convention’s theme”, according to the event’s CEO Jeff Larson, will be Trump’s campaign promise to “Make America Great Again”.
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According to IndyStar, Pence, 57, is dropping his re-election bid as governor to join Trump’s presidential race toward the White House. Pence will also end his reelection campaign for governor, the Star reported.
It is rumored that Pence competed against others such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. As speculation about his future swirled, he calmly answered questions about the selection process on Facebook Live, saying he had told Trump the choice was between having “two pirates on the ticket or a pirate and a relatively stable, more normal person”.
Trump said that the official announcement will come Friday at 11:00 a.m.in New York City.
“I think it is appropriate that I make plain today that, should there be a sudden need to name a new nominee for governor, I will not present myself as a candidate nor would I accept the nomination if offered”, Daniels said in a statement.
A Republican official in touch with Pence’s associates said Thursday morning that Pence told those associates he was convinced he was going to be the pick after his Wednesday meeting with Trump. For one, he has experience in government as a former U.S. Congressman, chairman of the House Republican Conference and a Midwestern state governor. “He’s been in public office since 2000, most of that time in Congress. And he’s got social conservative cred that could shore up support for the ticket among evangelicals who are wary of Trump”. “We’re very good friends, I have very high regard for him”. Referring to Trump and Hillary Clinton, Charles Koch told Fortune magazine earlier this week that “If I had to vote for cancer or a heart attack, why would I vote for either?”. “Clearly, Mike is one of those”.
In Dec. 2015, he criticized Trump for his proposed ban on all Muslims entering the nation, calling it “offensive and unconstitutional. Pence also brings fundraising power and credibility on a wide range of policy issues that are important to conservatives”.
However, there’s another intriguing element for those following the Trans-Pacific Partnership saga: Mr. Pence is strongly free trade.
And as governor of IN, he faced major political backlash over his decision to sign into law a “religious freedom” measure that infuriated major businesses that saw it as anti-LGBT. “I like Mike Pence”.
In picking Pence, Trump is selecting a candidate who could help his own conservative bona fides with the GOP base.
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Trump has also spoken in recent days with Christie, a former presidential candidate who was among the first establishment Republicans to endorse the NY businessman.
