After formally being announced as Republican Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence returned to the state on Saturday night with a simple message to more than 400 supporters at a Zionsville airport: “Hello, Indiana!”
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But when it comes to Clinton, he says: “She’s not”. “He’s a solid, solid person”.
“Pence, standing alone in front of ten American flags, hewed closely to the populist themes that Trump has voiced on the campaign trail, describing himself as “really just a small-town boy”. He praised Trump effusively as “a good man”, a fighter, a legendary businessman and a patriotic American.
“The American people are exhausted”, Pence said in remarks that included numerous same talking points that until recently he was using in his bid for re-election. “We’re exhausted of being told that this is as good as it gets”.
“We need new leadership, we need new thinking, we need strength”, Trump said. “I want to express our unyielding support for the people of France, and we mourn their loss as a nation”, he added.
Trump will be the first non-politician to receive the nomination since former president Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.
Pence, whose calm demeanor forms a marked counterpoint to the fiery Trump, was chosen in part to ease concerns in some GOP corners about the billionaire’s impulsive style and lack of political experience.
As Trump sought to bridge the gap between himself and holdout conservatives who have hesitated to support his candidacy, he touted Pence as a devoted Christian whose commitment to socially conservative values complement Trump’s respect for religious liberty.
Trump praised his 57-year-old running mate’s fiscally conservative policies and lauded his own success in Indiana’s Republican primary, which defied predictions from the party establishment.
Pence left most of the attack-dog role that is typical of a running mate to Trump.
“I am very supportive of Donald Trump’s call to temporarily suspend immigration from countries where terrorist influence and impact represents a certain threat to the United States”, Pence said on Hannity. And on top of that, we gave them back United States dollars 150 billion, and we didn’t get our hostages until the end. Some have questioned whether Pence’s strong conservative stance on social issues might alienate demographic groups that lean Democrat.
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He said he was “deeply humbled” to be at Trump’s side, but also made clear that he received the call from Trump on Wednesday, even though the presumptive nominee publicly said he was undecided up until late Thursday evening. It was the first appearance the two made together since officially becoming runningmates. But that might have worked in his favor this time, as Mr. Trump weighed the in governor against other more well-known politicos who reportedly were in the running for the VP slot – Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie.
