He returned to the stage later in the evening – not too long after the crowd chanted “We Want Trump!” – joining his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who officially accepted the nomination as the party’s choice for vice president.
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Maybe none of that matters if you have a candidate who’s a transformational figure, or at least one who’s the right fit for voters feeling dispirited and betrayed.
Pence, the keynote speaker on the third day of the Republican convention in Cleveland, has been well received by the Republican Party’s social conservative wing, who were skeptical of Trump’s commitment to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage but trust his running mate, a former US lawmaker.
The 22-member Indiana Republican state committee will vote Tuesday to choose a Republican gubernatorial candidate to replace Pence on the November ballot.
While introducing Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan called him a “Reagan conservative through and through” who “comes from the heart of the conservative movement and the heart of America”.
The rival Clinton campaign slammed Mr Trump and Mr Pence for their differences on this crucial issue. Congresswoman Susan Brooks, Congressman Todd Rokita, and former Lieutenant Governor candidate Eric Holcomb worked the IN delegation at every turn. “That is something no other candidate in this race can boast”. “We are told this economy is the best we can do”, he said.
Holcomb got a huge endorsement from Gov. Mike Pence on Friday, after having the honor of placing Pence’s name for nomination at the RNC earlier in the week. Pence picked Holcomb after his 2012 running mate, Sue Ellspermann, resigned in March.
He described Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as someone who reminds him of former President Ronald Reagan.
Brooks’ campaign highlighted the endorsement from Christie, who was a US attorney at the same time Brooks held the top federal prosecutor position in Indianapolis under President George W. Bush.
Former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, Bob Davis of Nashville, said he didn’t know a lot about Pence before last week, but was impressed as he listened to Pence’s speech in the Quicken Loans Arena.
President Obama visited Elkhart, Indiana, on June 1 to tout the state’s economic recovery, taking credit for its success and claiming that it represents the 2016 election’s basic policy choice.
The speech marked Pence’s first widespread, national exposure during the campaign, and was seen as a way to bolster Trump, who has been viewed skeptically by some conservatives and evangelicals.
“Susan has a demonstrated record of winning tough elections”, Christie said. “I also believe that having an accomplished woman at the top of your statewide ticket in IN will draw even more support and attention to this race from across the country”.
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A spokesman for Pence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
