The choice of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to join the Republican presidential ticket as Donald Trump’s running mate will do little to detract from Trump’s bravado on the campaign trail, and may not be enough to sway some hesitant Republicans to support the ticket, local Republicans said Thursday.
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According to the source, the announcement of Pence as Trump’s vice president will be made at Trump Tower at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Donald Trump is on the verge of picking his vice presidential running mate, with top contenders told to expect a decision as early as Thursday afternoon.
On Trump’s shortlist: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, according to people familiar with the candidate’s thinking.
WLWT’s Dan Griffin went to Indianapolis to speak with a friend and colleague of Pence’s about the choice. His staff had not released details of any other planned appearances Thursday. “This would save Pence out of a really iffy re-election bid in Indiana”, Goldford said. He faces a Friday deadline to withdraw from the governor’s race.
He has described himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order”.
The paperwork has been drawn up for him to take that step, according to a Republican who was not authorized to publicly discuss the plans and insisted on anonymity. His campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is now in Cleveland, and none of his children are in the state with him.
“Israel is a very, very important ally of the United States and we are going to protect them 100%”, he said last week, rebuffing an audience member’s criticism of the country.
His campaign has said that it will unveil a running mate for Trump in NY on Friday.
Donald Trump is pumping the breaks on an edgy and controversial decision, instead of hitting the gas on conventional politics.
Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, agreed that Pence adds experience and gravitas to the Republican ticket.
Mr Pence, 57, is a former USA representative who could help Mr Trump, 70, boost his standing with social conservatives and in midwestern states where Mr Trump aims to build a line of defence against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Pence had emerged as a late favorite for the job.
Governor of the Midwest state since only January 2013, the 57-year-old is a lawyer by training and used to host a radio talk show, so his communication skills are strong.
In 2015, though, he drew nationwide attention and sparked an outcry at home by signing legislation that, critics said, allowed businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians. He addressed a rally in IN alongside Pence on Tuesday night and met privately with him several times.
Gingrich is a boisterous rabble-rouser who has spent decades in Washington and helped define the political battles of the 1990s. Mr Trump’s promise to build a wall on the US-Mexico border to curb illegal immigration – and his comments likening Mexican immigrants to rapists – have turned off many Hispanic voters.
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“He was one of the leaders of the Tea Party Caucus within the U.S. House”.
