Thursday, 14 July 2016

Trump 'chooses Pence as running mate'

Mr Pence is the governor of Indiana
Republican Donald Trump has selected Indiana governor Mike Pence to be his vice-presidential running mate, according to US media reports.



Mr Trump's campaign team will make a formal announcement on Friday but unnamed sources told ABC News that Mr Pence will join the ticket.

The two men met at Mr Pence's home in Indiana this week and at Mr Trump's golf resort earlier in the month.

Mr Trump hopes Mr Pence can help him appeal to the party's conservatives.

Other candidates reportedly in the running were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

REUTERS The two appeared in Indiana together this week
Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

If there's anything resembling a "safe" vice-presidential pick for Donald Trump, Mike Pence is it. He has executive experience as Indiana's governor and a strong legislative resume from his 12 years as a member of the US House of Representatives.

While in Washington, he chaired the Republican Study Group, a coalition of hard-core conservatives, which gives him solid bona fides among the grass-roots Tea Party wing of the party that has occasional doubts about Mr Trump's ideological purity.

Mr Pence also hails from the mid-west, which Mr Trump's team has identified as perhaps the key battleground in his quest for the White House.

In Republican circles Mr Pence's record isn't entirely clean, however. Some on the right have criticised the governor for backing down when the state's "religious liberty" law was challenged by LGBT activists and local businesses last year.

Mr Pence's decision to expand government health-care coverage for Indiana's poor is also considered ideological heresy by some.

The real question, however, is whether Mr Pence has the rhetorical dexterity to both fulfil the traditional running-mate role of political attack dog on the stump and the nominee's most ardent defender.

Read more: Trump opts for safe choice in picking Pence

Profile: Who is Indiana Governor Mike Pence?

Mr Pence's legislative experience and position of governor of a Midwestern state could help Mr Trump in the general election.

Mr Pence is strongly anti-abortion and signed a religious freedom bill which some saw as anti-gay into law in Indiana.

He could help boost Mr Trump's image with the conservative base of the Republican party.

However, Mr Trump and the Indiana governor differ on some key issues.

Last year, Mr Pence tweeted that "calls to ban Muslims from entering the US are offensive and unconstitutional".

He has also expressed support for free trade and was in favour of the war in Iraq, which Mr Trump says he was not.

Mr Pence also criticised Mr Trump for his attacks on Hispanic judge Gonzalo Curiel, who was born in Indiana.

Mr Trump had said Mr Curiel could not possibly rule fairly in a case against him became of his Hispanic heritage.

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