Donald Trump announced Friday that he has selected Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his Vice Presidential running mate.
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“I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.,” Trump tweeted.
Pence accepted after Trump called him on the phone asking him if he is willing to take the vice presidential slot.
Trump planned to announce his vice presidential candidate in a news conference Friday, but due to the terrorist attack in Nice, France, Trump chose to postpone the news conference.
Trump said yesterday evening at a Los Angeles fundraiser, that he was “ready to announce” his final pick, according to an attendee.
CNN learned that the news conference where he will officially announce Pence as his running mate will take place in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Pence will give Trump a vice presidential candidate with strong ties to the Republican base as well as second amendment supporters.
Pence most recently served as governor of Indiana since 2013 and has 12 years of experience serving in the House of Representatives. Pence originates from the mid-west and was born in Indiana. He has strong ties to the region, which is something Trump and his team has identified as important since it will be a battleground come the November election.
Pence served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which is a a group of conservative House Republicans.
Pence is a longtime supporter of the Tea Party movement which has on occasion criticized Trump for his ideological standing.
Pence is a strong supporter of religious freedom and last year signed a religious freedom bill into law which many saw as “anti-gay” because they said it was worded in a way that would discriminate against LGBT people . Pence later signed edited legislation that would prevent discrimination.
Trump’s campaign hopes that with Pence, it will bolster Trump’s image with social conservatives.
Trump and Pence do have conflicting interests on some important issues. Last year, Mike Pence tweeted that Donald Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States was “offensive and unconstitutional.”
Pence has recently been a supporter of Donald Trump.
“I think he is going to be a great president. I think he is someone who has connected with everyday Americans like no one since Ronald Reagan. I think he has spoken into the frustration and the longings of the American people as no one since the 40th president, and I think you’re going to continue to see him do that,” Pence told reporters Tuesday after an event in Indianapolis.
Throughout the 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries., Pence endorsed Senator Ted Cruz.
