“Back to Mike Pence”, Donald Trump said roughly 16 minutes into his Saturday New York event ostensibly arranged to introduce the IN governor as his safe, solid, conservative running mate, who he may or may not want on the ticket. Listening to Trump rant & rave for over twenty minutes on everything but the issues before Pence was brought on stage for his media debut was odd to say the least.
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It was enough of a muddle for Hillary Clinton’s campaign to leap into action and draw attention to what they cast as Trump’s apparent wavering. The two men appeared together just briefly.
Trump asserted that he would handle attacks against his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and leave Pence out of them. “Donald Trump understands the anxiety and aspirations of the American people like no leader since Reagan”.
CNN stated that Christie was “coy” when some in the MI delegation said they hoped that Trump would name him attorney general if he wins the presidential election in November. Both men insisted that the other was for free trade despite it. Trump called Pence “very establishment in many ways”, after explaining why he ran against “the establishment”. He appeared to have made progress by Tuesday, when he told Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly that he had “a pretty good idea” of his pick. “We’re exhausted of having politicians in both parties in Washington, D.C., telling us we’ll get to those problems tomorrow”.
Indicating no lingering ill feelings toward not being selected himself, Christie told members of Michigan’s delegation to the Republican National Convention at a breakfast meeting Monday that he felt all along that the ticket needed to be balanced by a governor, not a member of Congress.
The lack of hoopla contrasted with Mitt Romney’s introduction four years ago of running mate Paul Ryan on the deck of a Navy battleship, the USS Wisconsin, off the shore of swing-state Virginia.
Trump insisted the governor was his first choice, despite an erratic decision-making process and reports that he reconsidered late. Mike Pence, enters the final year of his second term as governor. He did return for a brief photo-op at the end.
Trump spent weeks weighing vice presidential contenders, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov.
Female voters in particular, and those in the suburbs who are a most sought-after part of the electorate this cycle, may have concerns about Pence’s strict anti-abortion views and Indiana’s “religious liberty” measure that was seen as discriminatory toward gay people.
“No. She’s not”, Trump replied.
The lead-up to the low-key Saturday was anything but smooth.
The best known person in the group is KellyAnne Conway, who is frequently seen as a television commentator on the cable news networks and who will serve as an adviser to Pence. Through no fault of the campaign, the show ended up on a Saturday morning, competing on TV with two worldwide crises: the aftermath of the France attack and news about an attempted military coup in Turkey.
No need for rumors, sources or tweets – Donald Trump made it official Saturday introducing Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.
Donald Trump once promised a “showbiz” convention, packed with flash, celebrities and a “winner’s night” featuring sports stars and champion coaches.
It was another sign of Trump’s rule-breaking route to the GOP nomination, days before the start of the party’s convention in Cleveland.
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“They got crushed”, Trump said moments after praising party unity. “We don’t even know where they come from”.
