Pence, Trump's Loyal Wing Man, To Lay Out Choice For Nov. 3 Election
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Vice President Mike Pence takes center stage tonight at the Republican convention. His job - make the case to voters that President Trump is a better choice for the next four years than his Democratic Party rival, Joe Biden. Pence holds the key to support from evangelical Christians and old guard Republicans, a coalition of voters Trump needs to win. NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez has more.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Four years ago on a campaign trail, a young boy from North Carolina had a very revealing observation about Mike Pence.
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MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I've been watching the news lately, and I've been noticing that you've been kind of softening up on Mr. Trump's policies and words. Is this your role in the - is this going to be your role in the administration?
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ORDOÑEZ: Pence was a bit taken aback.
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VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: What did you say that I've been doing?
ORDOÑEZ: Pence joked the boy would one day become governor and then declared he was proud to stand with Trump.
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PENCE: Sometimes things don't always come out like you mean, right? And Donald Trump and I are absolutely determined to work together. We have different styles. You might have noticed that.
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ORDOÑEZ: It's a relationship and a role that has intrigued political analysts much older than the boy on the campaign trail. Pence has become a kind of translator for President Trump, helping to temper and reshape the bombast into words Middle America wants to hear.
PAUL HELMKE: Basically, he's been Trump's bridge to the evangelical community and as well as to the Midwest.
ORDOÑEZ: That's Paul Helmke, the Republican former mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind. He says Pence has been successful at staying in Trump's shadow, never crossing it. Trump gave Pence a bigger spotlight this year when he put him in charge of the coronavirus response.
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PENCE: We can slow the spread. We can protect the most vulnerable. And we can heal our land. So let's do it.
ORDOÑEZ: But just as Pence's briefing started to take hold, Trump stepped back in.
HELMKE: He never really had a chance to take that leadership role. As soon as the news conferences started getting attention, the president stepped in.
ORDOÑEZ: His loyalty to Trump has helped him in this job, but it could hurt his future political ambitions. If he makes a run for the top of the ticket in 2024, Republican strategists like Ryan Williams say it could tarnish Pence's reputation as a principled conservative.
RYAN WILLIAMS: He's been willing to just go along and defend whatever he said, which potentially could be at - you know, could be at his peril for the future if Trump is of - certainly were to sour after this election.
ORDOÑEZ: Steve Shine has known Pence for decades. Shine's a longtime leader in Indiana Republican circles. He sees Pence is invaluable to Trump.
STEVE SHINE: He is someone who people feel very, very comfortable with. He is the kind of person you would want as your next-door neighbor.
ORDOÑEZ: Ken Farnaso, a spokesman for the campaign, tells NPR that Pence is President Trump's top asset on the trail. Pence has been busy traveling and raising money, even when Trump was locked down because of the coronavirus. Since October, Pence has gone to more than 27 states, hosting 11 bus tours and dozens of fundraising events. He has spent a lot of time in three states - Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania - places that are key to the Trump campaign strategy to win again, with this message.
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PENCE: I think the choice in this election is clear. The American people are going to see a great contrast.
ORDOÑEZ: Right after he wraps up the convention, Pence returns to his job on the trail. He will headline campaign events in Michigan and Minnesota on Friday and then give a commencement speech in Wisconsin.
Franco Ordoñez, NPR News.
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