Mike Pence on Thursday fielded one of the toughest questions he’s faced as Donald Trump’s running mate – from 11-year-old Matthew Schricker.
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But the many diverging statements from the nominee and his running mate, notably regarding the flap started by Mr Trump’s belittling of the soldier’s parents, have created an impression that they are running nearly parallel campaigns sometimes at odds with each other. John McCain – a day after the former prisoner of war said Trump did not have “unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us”, and hours after Trump responded by telling The Washington Post he would not endorse McCain’s re-election.
“We are Ryan Republicans here in Wisconsin, not Trump Republicans”, he added pointedly.
Not surprising for a stump speech in a battleground state by a former congressman who was a reliable party line vote from global trade deals to the Iraq War, and then a consistently conservative governor.
Trump was referring to his running mate, Mike Pence, the conservative governor of Indiana. Those have sparked alarm among global leaders by calling into question several of the United States primary multilateral military alliances, from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to troops stationed in Japan and South Korea. He refuted the suggestion that their campaign was faltering because of Mr Trump’s missteps. Trump said he isn’t willing – yet – to lend his endorsement to House Speaker Paul Ryan, the GOP’s highest-ranking elected official, or Arizona Sen. “Paul Ryan is the intellectual leader of our party and a strong voice for conservatives…”
Pence, on the other hand, enthusiastically backed Ryan, who he called a friend from their time together in the House. “I believe we need Paul Ryan in leadership in the Congress of the United States to rebuild our military, to strengthen our economy and to ensure that we have the kind of leadership in this country that will make America great again”, Pence said.
The early days of the general election campaign have been a contortionist act for Pence, who has remained loyal to Trump while trying to maintain his reputation as a principled, down-to-earth Midwesterner with the primary mission of acting as an emissary to the conservative and evangelical wings of the Republican Party.
On several occasions in the past week, the in governor has found himself in direct conflict with Trump, taking a different campaign tact or running damage control after one of the Republican presidential nominee’s incendiary remarks. “In seven and a half years Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s policies have weakened America’s place in the world”, he said.
“I think Trump had a bad week”, Kristin Wenzel, a military wife here in Virginia Beach, said on her way into the town hall meeting.
Last week, Trump ignited a feud with the family of a U.S. Army captain who was killed in Iraq, arguing that the family’s recent criticisms of him were not fair. That works for his supporters – it’s part of why they like him. “This was much easier”.
Pence asked the crowd to quiet down and then said of the questioner: “That’s what freedom looks like”.
And this week, the difference in their tones has never been more stark.
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, points toward Republican vice presidential candidate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence after Pence’s acceptance speech during the third day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Wednesday, July 20, 2016.
