The pick sets up a stark clash in styles: a brash presumptive nominee with a tendency to freelance into controversies alongside a cautious former congressional leader who’s stuck close to conservative orthodoxy since starting his career in talk radio.
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Trump announced the change of plans Thursday evening on Twitter.
Prior to serving as Indiana‘s governor, Pence served in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. “He’s a real smart, solid choice”. “I was grateful to visit our troops together in Iraq in 2008, where I saw firsthand his heartfelt appreciation for our service members and military families”.
“I know him to be. a Reaganesque communicator”.
After his election in 2010, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, said he also formed a favorable impression of Pence. “We’re very good friends, I have very high regard for him”. Reached by phone later, Gingrich said he had not heard from Trump, but still expected to receive word Thursday afternoon.
He was chairman of the Republican Study Committee and chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Not long after, just as Pence was getting ready to announce his re-election bid for governor, a poll conducted by Republican Christine Matthews of Bellwether Research found that 54 percent of IN voters said they wanted a new governor.
In contrast, Trump has threatened to rip up America’s existing trade deals, despite vehement criticism from Republican-leaning business groups.
“It will help Trump with the evangelicals and the conservatives”, Cobb-Hunter said.
“It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Mike Pence”. The Trump brand overshadows (by far) the deep well of love and respect the IN governor has among the three voters who care deeply about allowing rural IN pizzerias to refuse to cater gay weddings. As governor, he faced major political backlash over his decision to sign into law a “religious freedom” measure that infuriated major businesses that saw it as anti-LGBT. The Indiana legislature later passed revisions to the law to protect against it being used as a shield for discrimination.
A Republican official in touch with Pence’s associates said Thursday morning that Pence told those associates he was convinced he was going to be the pick after his Wednesday meeting with Trump.
Pence does agree with Trump on taxation – as governor, he’s fought for and successfully signed into law a corporate income tax rate of 4.9 percent, which will make IN the state with the second lowest corporate tax rate IN the country.
The NRA’s board member Ken Blackwell, who is also a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, called Pence a “home run choice” after reports emerged that Trump tapped Pence as his VP – although the billionaire hasn’t officially made the announcement. He can not run simultaneously for both offices.
Dave: Jill, your traditional analysis of how Democrats thinking of voting for Trump will react to the Pence pick completely misses the point.
Pence has been in a contentious re-election campaign against former Democratic Indiana House Speaker John Gregg and would have until noon Friday to withdraw his name as a candidate for governor since state law prevents him from seeking two offices at once. CNN claimed selecting Pence would “give Trump a running mate with strong ties to the Republican base – particularly social conservatives”.
The addition of Pence to the ticket may help assuage concerns among conservatives anxious that Trump is too moderate on social issues. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner also met privately with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday, NBC News reported.
“They will rein him in and protect him from himself”, he said. He’s a more cautious, less-flashy choice over Gingrich and Christie. Picking Pence could easily be seen as an overture to conservative Christians.
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The meetings have been created to let Trump’s family get to know the candidates better before the presumptive nominee formalizes his decision.
