Donald Trump’s political union with Mike Pence, who was announced Friday as his running mate, arrived with a new campaign logo that is drawing titters from cheeky tweeters. In fact, the selection process appeared on the verge of sliding out of control in the final hours before the announcement, sparking speculation that Trump might be changing his mind. I’m no graphic art critic, but the logo does seem to suggest that Trump is dominating Pence, a vice presidential pick that Trump was reportedly scrambling to reconsider as late as midnight last night. However, he delayed it after Thursday’s deadly attack in Nice, France.
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He’d planned to introduce his pick at a news conference Friday morning in NY, but said on Twitter Thursday evening that he would postpone the event “in light of the terrible attack”.
The reaction to the Pence choice from Republican officials was overwhelmingly positive – no small feat for Trump, given how polarizing he’s been within his own party. Especially when Governor Pence is not exactly a fan of the LGBT community. Pence also has influential allies in Trump’s inner circle.
Trump has scheduled a joint appearance with Pence in the Big Apple on Saturday at 11:00 am (1500 GMT).
Jim Bopp, an influential conservative attorney who has previously advised Pence, said the delayed announcement “creates an enormous legal problem” for Pence, who is barred by IN law from seeking both offices.
Seen as disciplined, conservative and relatively discreet, Pence earned plaudits from fellow Republicans. Trump’s hectic decision-making process was made more complicated by the fact that the businessman was in California Thursday for a series of fundraisers, isolated from almost all of his closest advisers, including his three adult children and his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
John Podesta, the campaign chairman for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, said, “Pence is the most extreme pick in a generation”.
Once calling himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order”, Pence is also a beloved social conservative among the devout evangelical conservatives within the party. His father ran gas stations.
Pence said when he wrote his “confessions of a negative campaigner” essay, he had come off a tough campaign in which both sides talked about what was wrong with the other, rather than talking about the issues.
“Mike Pence comes from the heart of the conservative movement – and the heart of America”, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has been skeptical of Trump. “I’m very happy for Pence, and I think he is really excited about this”. He said Trump was planning on making an announcement this weekend.
He has broken with Mr. Trump on Iraq, having been a co-sponsor of the 2002 Iraq war resolution.
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Besides Pence, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had reportedly also been on Trump’s “short list” of vice-presidential candidates.
