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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and his wife Karen leave a meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York today.
WASHINGTON » After frenzied, final decision-making, Donald Trump announced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate today, adding an experienced politician with deep Washington connections to the Republican presidential ticket.
Trump’s pick was aimed in part at easing some Republicans’ concerns about his temperament and lack of political experience. Pence spent 12 years in Congress before being elected governor and his demeanor is as calm as Trump’s is fiery. While some conservatives are skeptical of Trump’s political leanings, Pence has been a stalwart ally on social issues.
Yet Pence is largely unknown to many Americans. And his solidly conventional political background runs counter to Trump’s anti-establishment mantra.
The two men scheduled a news conference for Saturday in New York to present themselves to America as the Republican team that will take on Hillary Clinton and her Democratic running mate in November. The duo will head to Cleveland next week for the Republican National Convention.
As Pence arrived for a private meeting with Trump today, he told reporters he “couldn’t be more happy for the opportunity to run with and serve with the next president of the United States.”
In choosing Pence, Trump appears to be looking past their numerous policy differences. The governor has been a longtime advocate of trade deals such as NAFTA and the Trans Pacific Partnership, both of which Trump aggressively opposes. Pence also has been critical of Trump’s proposed temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the United States, calling the idea “offensive and unconstitutional.”
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.
“It was a pick that clearly shows he is pivoting to the general election,” said GOP chairman Reince Priebus, who was in the midst of an interview with The Associated Press when Trump announced his decision. “He is choosing a person who has the experience inside and outside Washington, Christian conservative, very different style that I think shows a lot of maturity.”
Pence, a staunchly conservative 57-year-old, served six terms in Congress before being elected governor and could help Trump navigate Capitol Hill. He is well-regarded by evangelical Christians, particularly after signing a law that critics said would allow businesses to deny service to gay people for religious reasons.
Clinton’s campaign moved quickly to paint him as the “most extreme pick in a generation.”
“By picking Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump has doubled down on some of his most disturbing beliefs by choosing an incredibly divisive and unpopular running mate,” said John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman.
Clinton spent today holding meetings in Washington about her own vice presidential choice. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a favorite of liberals and one of the Democrats’ most effective Trump critics, was seen in a car that left Clinton’s home.
Trump spent weeks weighing vice presidential contenders, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and only zeroed in on Pence in recent days. 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.
Word that Pence would be joining the Republican ticket began trickling out in news reports Thursday before Trump had made a final decision or called Pence to offer him the job, according to a Republican familiar with the situation. Trump was in California for fundraisers, separated from his closest aides, and was fuming about leaks that he viewed as an attempt to pressure him into the decision.
Still, Trump called Pence Thursday afternoon to offer him the job and ask him to fly to New York for a Friday morning news conference. Pence accepted and boarded a private plane, along with his wife.
A few hours later, a huge truck barreled through a crowded holiday celebration in Nice, France, killing more than 80 people. With Pence sitting in a New York hotel, Trump decided to postpone the announcement.
The billionaire businessman then went on Fox News to say he had not yet settled on his “final, final” choice. He also held a midnight conference call with his top aides to discuss the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the call.
By Friday, plans were back on track.
Trump sent out a Twitter message saying he was pleased to announce Pence as his running mate. Moments later, one of Pence’s aides filed paperwork with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office withdrawing him from the governor’s race.
Pence was up for re-election, and state law prohibits candidates from being on ballots in two contests. Trump’s formal announcement came about an hour before Pence’s noon Friday deadline for withdrawing.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, strongly rejected suggestions that the candidate considered changing his mind about Pence.
“Never waffled once he made his decision,” Manafort wrote in an email.
Gingrich, one of the finalists for the vice presidential spot, said he was “very comfortable” with Trump’s decision and praised Pence as someone who could help unite the party.
But as of this afternoon, Gingrich had yet to share his support with Trump himself. He told The Associated Press he had not received a call from Trump telling him he wasn’t getting the job.
Boring and bombastic = ?
Shucks! I was hoping it would be Hunter Pence! I may have voted for the duo just to get an exciting MLB player in there.
Mike Pence doesn’t believe in evolution. He’s one of those who believes the earth is 6,000 years old and dinosaurs died out a couple thousand years ago around the time Jesus was born. LOL
Speaking of old and dinosaurs how is HiLIARy doing?
It’s so sad that an adult thinks like he does. The Clinton campaign is going to have a blast using Pence’s own words against him. It’s another treasure trove of ridiculous.
Klastri, did you find your wallet. Crooked Is outspending Honest Don 15-1 and it’s not enough.
Evolution!
PSHAW!
No one but an emotionally overwrought liberal fascist ignores scientific fact and puts on blinders to sustain a child like belief in Darwin’s attractive 19th century mythology of transgenic “evolution” in which one species begats another entirely different species.
In studying THE unambiguous record we have, the one in the rock, there has been since Darwin’s pleasant tree structure cartoon was published ZERO in the way of evidence of ANY transgenic evolution. Despite considerable effort for more than a century and a half, no “missing link” between Man and Ape has ever been found. Plenty of P.T. Barnum type hoaxes HAVE surfaced, but that is about it.
Adaptive evolutionary changes WITHIN a species to better survive ecological changes? To be sure. Transgenic changes from one species to another? Nope. None.
Palani, it =’s Making America Great Again. Mr. Trump has galvanized the GOP and has the DNC and Ms Clinton in a panic.
This was a weird series of events – didn’t buy for one second that the postponement of announcement was due to the tragedy in France. Then it looks like someone realized Pence needed to withdraw from his state race, so they had to quickly announce by tweet.
“As the presidential race moves into a key two-week period, with the announcement of running mates and the party conventions, Donald Trump has taken an apparent slim lead over Hillary Clinton, based on strong support from white voters, particularly men.” La Times
Why so silent, Clinton supporters?
Pence is as crazy as Trump. Perfect match.
Two great Americans.
Politics is all about comparative choice. So, a crazier choice than a proven corrupt, incompetent, reflexive liar?
Beginning of the end of the most CORRUPT chapter, barack huINSANE obama/hiLIARy ramrod clinton, in American history.
TRUMP & PENCE will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
It can’t be so. Hilliary has more money, more staff, more lies, more corruption, more dishonesty, more carelessness than her husband, Bill.
But Slick Willy had the biggest lie…”I did not have sexual relations with that woman…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQmXs
I know. What a guy.
Yes but Bill Clinton’s lie did NOT cause the death and maiming of thousands of US military servicemen, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s, loss of BILLIONS in US funds (money that went to corrupt Iraqi’s, and military contractors like Cheney’s BlackWater) and the destabilization of the Middle East and the rise of ISIS. The worst lie in US history was the BS weapons of mass destruction in Iraq provided by a non-verified Iraqi dissident who German intelligence nicknamed “Curveball” scheme by Powell with George Tenet sitting behind him at a UN announcement. Most Repubs, including FoxNews are in complete denial of that one EXCEPT Trump who I give credit has not been afraid to publicly speak about Cheney, Bush-2, Rumsfeld, Powell and Tenet and how they all LIED to Americans. Trump supporter, or now former Trump supporter Ann Coulter has claimed Trump’s choice of Pence is the one of the worst mistakes he has ever made. If Clinton’s campaign was smart, they will choose a well respected African American veteran and General (NOT Powell) who can lead the nation in helping to bridge the gap between Caucasians (and cops) with African Americans. Someone kind of Dallas police chief who can start to bridge with the growing race war within the US. Obama is trying but NEITHER Trump or Hillary can achieve this. There are three major fronts the US must face 1)Islamic terrorism, 2) growing internal race conflict and 3)global economic battle where the US must stay ahead of China and be strong economically and be energy independent from middle eastern oil. If the US can permanently wean away from middle eastern oil, global islamic terrorism will decrease because countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia will no longer be able finance global terrorism, including the ultimate goal of detonating nuclear explosives right in the US. Bill Clinton actually has the talent and ability to deal with making US economy strong and working toward energy independence and a well chosen African American Democratic VP can help bridge the growing US racial gaps including angry African Americans who feel the need to mass murder Caucasian cops like in Dallas, leaving Hillary Clinton to remove all of Obama’s flunkies (except AG Lynch who H Clinton owes bigtime for not having the FBI indict her) and bring top military minds to wage a scalpel war of special forces against Islamic terrorist in the Middle East and address homegrown islamic terrorist). I have resigned that Trump will lose and H Clinton will be the next pres of the US. If that is the case, make the best of a bad situation.
Inverse, You sounded like Comey. For 14 minutes he laid it out what Hilliary was guilty of. Then ends it “if the glove doesn’t fit you have to acquit.”
Hilliary might win because she’s bending over more to the left. She’s outspending Honest Don 15-1 so her supporters are going to open their wallets.
Indiana’s Governor Mike Pence is a Good choice!
& get this; Indiana is running a surplus! Wow!You heard right ,”a Surplus”.
While many Democratic controlled states are running a deficit. Even with higher taxes via raising Your taxes, this has not helped their bottom line !And yet they keep getting re-elected? Why is that???? VS the Republican states,who seem to do better,they seem to grasp the economics of being fiscally responsible. Economics 101?
Governor Pence is that fiscally minded politician. He also has Buku experience in Washington (USHOR) as well.This is where The Donald needs his help,especially in Washington… that is,if he expects to pass anything in Washington.
Over all I believe,
Mike Pence will be The Equalizer in Trumps administration.He’s Calm , Cool , Collected and Smart.
Though Trumps campaign numbers are closing in on Hillary,with some credible polls show him leading those polls, he still needs to attract the Minorities, Blacks and the Hispanics,(who btw the Democrats have pulled the wool over their eyes for years) Time to wake up! And last ,but not least? My favorite …..The Uneducated Millennials.
okay….im voting for trump/pence
MoiLee, just my thoughts. Mr. Trump with now Mr. Spence and their supporters must stay the Course of “Making America Great Again.” They do not have to provide special “gifts” to gain support from the Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. for many of them will get the message, that if America is made great again, they will be in the boat of the rising tide. Only the Democrats continue to separate Americans to turn against each other and continue to sink the boat.
Crooked Mama must be just a bit worried spending millions on Bernie and now outspending Honest Don 15-1 and she still can’t put him away. This should not have been a contest.
The good news with this choice is that Governor Pence has been relentlessly anti-women during his political lifetime. He has fought women on access to legal abortion and he has championed a fight against Planned Parenthood. His approval rating among women is terrible, so this choice will drive even more women to Mrs. Clinton.
Another great decision, Mr. Trump!
Are you being paid by the democratic party?
No, I just have a working brain. That makes me different here, obviously.
Thank you for your comment. According too the latest polls roughly 40% of the people polled think you may have a few screws loose.
I’ve went to schools with, met and worked with a lot of really smart people but none of them knew everything about everything, although a few thought they did. You strike me as fitting that mold.
klasless–“No, I just have a working brain.” Can you provide a reference for that opinion? Just take your time.
AhiPoke – I didn’t ask for your opinion, and couldn’t care less what it is.
Klastri, your response to AhiPoke proves you are sensitive with Ahi’s comment of you. I agree with AhiPoke. Yep, the Star and Know-It-All. Same-same Hawaii born President Obama.
I wasn’t aware that Obama had a twin.
@ kuroiwaj & sarge22…I totally agree with both your sentiments regarding Klastri’s (aka kauai or Kurt on Kauai) narcissistic egomaniacal mindset but comparing him to baraki huINSANE obama is a disservice to O who is the King Egomaniacal Narcissist IMHO. Jay CARNIVAL carney or josh OH MY GOSH ernest would be imitations he could try to emulate…..he’ll fail but hey, set your goals high as they say.
Ahi, are you kidding? He’s on the Trump Train. He is Donald’s secret weapon.
You klastri fans make my day 🙂 And klastri keeps coming back for more.
I think I got under his skin. Most ego maniacs, like Trump, can’t take it. Gotta love it. LOL
Secret weapon to self destruction? Staunch Republican flag bearer Ann Coulter thinks Trump’s choice of Pence is one of the WORST mistakes he has ever made.
Inverse, who is Ann Coulter?
“There are plenty of Republicans in his home state who would be glad to see him abandon his re-election campaign to serve as Donald Trump’s running mate.” – Politico, on Governor Pence.
“That WTHR-TV and Howey Politics Indiana poll in April found a gender gap with women preferring Gregg over Pence, “52 percent to 41 percent.” – NWI.com.
Thank you for your comment. He will take your remark under advisement and hope to earn your support for VPOTUS.
Lespark, I’ve noticed something with your crowd:
You have zero substance. None. Not even remotely measurably. Your group cannot actually explain why anyone should vote for Trump on Trump’s own reasons. The only argument given is that Hillary is bad. But that does not equate to why Trump is any better. And when given arguments against Trump, no one in your crowd can actually address them. They only respond with whining about “But Obama..” or “But Clinton…” There is a virtual complete lack of any rebuttal as to why the reasons not to vote Trump aren’t valid. Even more telling is the vast majority of the time, the core argument made against Clinton is equally valid, if not more valid against Trump. Functionally, your crowd acts like a bunch of Creationists, trying to argue that their position is right by default because evolution is (allegedly) wrong. That of course does not actually mean you are right, it just means you are trying to discredit the other choice while deliberately ignoring that your choice is bad or worse.
When I bring up a third party as to why not to vote for Trump, your crowd’s arguments fall apart. With no foil of Clinton, the Trumpers here have nothing at all to stand on. They CANNOT make a single argument citing a single reason why someone should vote for Trump on Trump’s own merits. That is a sign of an unbelievably weak candidate and a very poorly educated fan club. When faced by someone who loathes both Clinton and Trump, you got nothing.
Thank you for your comment. Mr. Trump would like your support.
He recognized, quite correctly, that America has many socio-economic problems. He believes he is the right person to lend his expertise to get America on firm ground. He will use proven strategies to create jobs and bring manufacturing back to America.
Up until now, he had been a casual observer of foreign affairs. Hindsight being 20/20 he assures the American people America will not make the same mistakes that has led us to the current malaise.
Compared to the other candidate, there is no “legitimate” comparison.
He will reach across the aisle and select honest, qualified advisers to construct an administration job won.
Chord, you ever notice what a mess Obama and Clinton got us into? Everything they touched ended up in disaster. Nothing will change my mind except maybe those hypocritical attack ads Crooked Hilliary is running. What’s in your wallet?
Thank you for your comment. It is imperative Crooked Mama keeps her base – Convicts, BLM, Latinos, Muslims. She needs money to keep the airwaves flooded with her lies and extreme carelessness. What’s in your wallet?
No matter how many times a day you write the exact same thing – over and over and over and over again – it’s funny and clever every single time!
Thank you for your comment. No matter how many times Crooked Mama runs the exact same attack ads – over and over and over again it’s not working every single time. What’s in your wallet. Send Crooked Mama money. Now.
Actually he is pro life as ap posed to you and many others who are pro death to babies.
You’re lying, of course. No sane person is “pro death to babies” as you wrote.
Women have the right to control their own bodies. You cannot control another person, so it might help to get over that thought.
Thank you for your comment and your concern. Mr. Trump sends his regards. He apologizes that his campaign has not lived up to your expectations. He will take your remarks under advisement and hope to earn your support.
Trump is not leading the polls because of his stand on abortion. Prior to running for POTUS he probably didn’t give it as much thought as Bill did. No telling how many little Bills would be running around. There are so many more critical matters to address.
What’s in your wallet. Crooked Mama needs more money.
Many people think that a Presidential campaign is a good indicator of the candidate’s organizational and management skills and that those skills, or lack of them, are a leading indicator of how they might perform in office. Trump’s VP announcement was a colossal mess by an inept campaign operation. For the best description of what a mess it was and how an important campaign milestone was wasted, see “Donald Trump just turned a key moment into a complete mess (once again)” in the Washington Post at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/15/donald-trump-just-turned-a-key-moment-into-a-complete-mess-once-again/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_fix-trump-120pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMZqS7q7voY
HiLIARy is so desperate that she called in to Bill O’Reilly on FOX NEWS the number one rated show on cable TV. Trump moving up in the polls and lyin crooked Hillary wasting millions on phony ads. Washington Post??? Really. lol
Thank you for your comment and your concern. Mr. Trump sends his regards. He apologizes that his campaign has not lived up to your expectations. He will take your remarks under advisement and hope to earn your support.
another inept vp candidate by the repubs. remember agnew and qualye? those two were so unintelligent it was so funny. qualye could not spell. in over 10 years in congress he did not pass one bill. as governor of Indiana, he made stupid blunders and he was going to lose his relection bid because on his ineptness. but he won’t become vp too.
Zero plus zero equals zero
Brilliant. Maybe you could give Obama a few math lessons.
Why? Barry can count. “I’ve now been in 57 states, I think one left to go.One left to go. Alaska and Hawai’i…” Blah. blah. blah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
Punahou Grad.
If he is so bad how come he served two terms as POTUS? Suck it up and get over it.
Actually, I think you need to look in a mirror for your answer. I voted for his first term..
Mitch Romney.
Untrustworthy + Liar=hiLIARy
Drumpf said last night that he would delay his planned Friday announcement out of “respect for the victims” of the Nice massacre.
Half a day later, with the bodies not yet cold, he flip-flops and makes the announcement anyway. How callous and uncaring, to try to play on peoples’ sympathy the night before and then go ahead today as if he’d never said that!
Nice way to make a joke of your previous statement and make a shanda of your announcement, Drumpf! Why do you hate the French? Why are you disrespecting the dead and their families — as judged by your very own words of last night?
Good God, he thinks we fell off the turnip truck just this morning.
Thank you for your comment and your concern. Mr. Trump sends his regards. He apologizes that his campaign has not lived up to your expectations. He will take your remarks under advisement and hope to earn your support.
Have you had a stroke?
Never say never. Trump hasn’t even started on the old bag.
Pence isn’t even well-liked by the people in his home state of Indiana. Do they know something that Trump doesn’t?
Thank you for your comment and your concern. Mr. Trump sends his regards. He apologizes that his campaign has not lived up to your expectations. He will take your remarks under advisement and hope to earn your support.
You should learn to improve on your reading and your comprehension skills. Nowhere in my comment did I state that I was “expecting” anything. All I did was note the lack of favorability of Mr. Pence by the residents of his home state, and wondered whether they are aware of matters that perhaps Mr. Trump and his organization do not. I neither voiced my support for nor my non-support for Mr. Trump. Lashing out with such a knee-jerk, unthinking response by you accomplishes nothing – other than to make you appear purely reactive and with no contribution toward discussion of the matter. My question still stands to anyone else (who objectively thinks) as to what the people of Indiana may have knowledge of that causes them to view Mr. Pence so unfavorably.
You’re expecting too much – way too much – out of him. Way too much.
Pence was on his way to losing his Governor’s job, so this is a shot at remaining employed.
What possible difference does it make to you? What’s in your wallet. Crooked Hilliary needs some more money to cover up what the people of America may have knowledge of that causes them to view Mrs. Clinton so unfavorably.
Bwahahaha….Bwahahaha…. a Tea Bagger. Hates Gays, Hates Big Government, Hates Minorities. So much for Making America Great Again.
Now that’s over with Hillary will come out with Elizabeth Warren. More women in Washington, get rid of all the do nothing men in Washington.
She can’t go wrong with a friend of Tonto. The Lone Ranger! … With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States!
Thanks to Mr. Trump’s astonishing ignorance, he added Native Americans to the long list of voters who have been turned against the Republican Party. Please keep up the Tonto insults.
Trump does have failed white men and white supremacists, though. That is one fine constituency!
He only added fake Native Americans not real ones. Kind of like fake lawyers.
Another racist and bigoted statement. What a hypocrite.
Trump’s selection of Pence is in my opinion a very serious mistake which will come back to bit him. He and Pence are on opposite sides on TPP and immigration.
Pence is an advocate of free trade and was a strong supporter of Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential race. Pence is part of the Washington power cabal.
Wish Trump had selected Senator Jeff Sessions instead, a true conservative and patriot who is very much in line with what Trump has professed to support.
i believe Trump’s personal safety is now in serious jeopardy. The pick of the right running mate would have provided him some protection from any attempt to eliminate him
as those conspiring to harm Trump would be hard pressed to take out both individuals at the same time. Take out Trump and you would still have a vice president who would carry out
the same type of policies.