Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence reiterated that he and Donald Trump have repeatedly denounced white supremacist leader David Duke following criticism over an interview in which he declined to label Duke “deplorable”.
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“I’m not in name-calling business, Wolf”, he said. “Well, as I’ve told you the last time I was on, I’m not really sure why the media keeps dropping David Duke’s name”, said Pence, seemingly miffed that people kept bringing up the fact that an emboldened Duke had endorsed Trump.
After Hillary Clinton dismissed “half” of Donald Trump’s supporters as a “basket of deplorables” over the weekend, Team Make America Great Again embraced the pejorative as a term of pride, branding themselves the Deplorables.
That’s a big contrast to Trump’s visit with the same group of Republicans in July, when the presidential nominee clashed with several GOP senators.
But Cruz left without answering questions about whether he will vote for Trump, endorse him or whether Pence asked him to publicly back Trump.
The inexorable logic of the “deplorables” debate is unforgiving, as Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, discovered. “But I’m also not going to validate the language that Hillary Clinton used to describe the American people”.
Pence was asked at a news conference Tuesday with House Republican leaders whether he wanted to amend his statement from an interview Monday in which he denounced Duke, but declined to call him “deplorable”.
Focus on candidates’ health came to the forefront this week, following Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s near-collapse while leaving the 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York City on Sunday – an incident her campaign attributed to a pneumonia diagnosis.
The former six-term House member and current IN governor was joined by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy following what many described as a positive meeting with members of the House GOP at the Republican National Committee IN Washington. I was in the Republican caucus in the legislature.
Pence told House Republicans in the closed-door meeting that he didn’t know Trump when they first met, but had gotten to know him well, citing what he said was Trump’s kindness and things he’s done to show that he’s different than what people see on TV. He noted that Clinton’s Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has not revealed his medical or tax records. Who knows, the party of Trump may even boast millions of these deplorables. It’s ridiculous that they attack me because of my involvement in that nonviolent Klan four decades ago, ‘ Duke said. He calls Pence a “good man, a friend” and a “strong conservative”.
Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker heaped praise on Pence as well, saying he gave out his cellphone to senators and encouraged them to call him.
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Trump later blamed a “bad earpiece” for not being able to hear the question.
