UPDATE: Donald Trump officially announced Pence as his vice presidential candidate at 11 a.m. Friday. He will hold an event at the same time tomorrow to welcome Pence to the campaign.
I am pleased to announce that I have selected Governor Mike Pence as my running mate. Press conference tomorrow at 11:00 AM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
In the wake of the terrorist attack in France, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump has postponed an official announcement of his vice presidential running mate. Regardless, all signs, and a confirmation from Trump himself to CNN yesterday, point to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as the man chosen as the GOP vice presidential candidate.
After news of Pence’s selection leaked yesterday, several conservative leaders praised the decision.
“Mike Pence is a solid choice, and by choosing him, Donald Trump gets an A-plus for his first presidential election. Mike is also a Midwesterner and a hard-line conservative, and he will be a tremendous asset on both counts,” former Ohio Secretary of State and NRA board member Ken Blackwell said in a statement. “Mike has been a successful governor and CEO, a successful legislator in Congress, and is deeply respected across the Republican Party and across the aisle among Democrats. He will be an exceptional asset as Mr. Trump’s running mate, helping to unite the party as we take the battle up and down the Democratic ticket in the fall.”
Pro-life leaders, who warned against Trump’s nomination during the Republican primaries, are pleased with Pence’s choice.
“Mr. Trump’s selection of Governor Mike Pence as vice president is a reaffirmation of the pro-life commitments he has made and will unite the pro-life grassroots movement. Governor Pence has been a proven advocate for pro-life both during his time in Congress and as governor of Indiana,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. “It was Mike Pence who led the effort to defund Planned Parenthood in Congress, and it was Governor Pence who signed a historic bill protecting unborn children from deadly discrimination in the womb. Mike Pence is a pro-life pioneer, and Mr. Trump could not have made a better choice.”
“Mike Pence spent 12 years in Congress leading on conservative issues, including defunding Planned Parenthood. I look forward to working with him as vice president. He is a great choice for Donald Trump, Mike Pence will be a unifying force, and conservatives will be very supportive,” said Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America.
But not everyone is joyful with Pence’s choice. In The Federalist, David Harsanyi is calling Pence was branded a fraud for rolling back religious freedom protections in Indiana and bowing to leftist pressure.
“It’s commendable that Pence feels so passionately about immigrant religious freedom. If only he would take similar action to support Christian institutions in his state. But then again, one of these positions required a modicum of courage, the other didn’t,” writes David Harsanyi.
Author Ann Coulter, who has been a staunch, unwavering and faithful Trump supporter, is not joyful with this choice.
I’ll hold off on commenting until it’s official, but if the claims about Pence being VP are true, then I was right that this was Trump’s first mistake
—Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 14, 2016
Pence is expected to deliver a speech at the RNC convention next week in Cleveland.
