UPDATE: Donald Trump officially announced Pence as his VP choice Friday at 11 am. He will hold an event tomorrow at the same time to welcome Pence to the campaign.
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
In the wake of the terror attack in France, GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump has postponed his official announcement about who he has chosen to be his running mate. Regardless, all signs and an a confirmation from Trump himself to CNN yesterday point to Indiana Governor Mike Pence as the man chosen to be the GOP vice presidential candidate.
After news of Pence being the choice leaked yesterday, a number of conservative leaders praised the move.
“Mike Pence is a home run choice and by picking him Donald Trump gets an A-plus for his first presidential decision. Mike is a fellow Midwesterner and a fellow rock-solid conservative, and will be a huge help on both scores," former Ohio Secretary of State and NRA board member Ken Blackwell released in a statement. "Mike has been a successful governor and chief executive, he’s been a successful legislator in Congress and commands deep respect across the board in the Republican Party and across the aisle with the Democrats. He’ll be an exceptional asset as Mr. Trump’s running mate, he’ll help unify the party as we take the battle to the Democrats in the fall up and down the ballot."
Leaders of the pro-life movement, who warned in the GOP primary against a Trump nomination, are pleased with Pence as the choice.
“Mr. Trump’s selection of Gov. Mike Pence as his Vice President is an affirmation of the pro-life commitments he has made and will rally the pro-life grassroots. Gov. Pence is a proven pro-life champion both during his time in Congress and as Governor of Indiana," Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. "It was Mike Pence who led the effort to defund Planned Parenthood in Congress, and it was Gov. Pence who signed into law a historic bill protecting unborn children from lethal discrimination in the womb. Mike Pence is a pro-life trailblazer and Mr. Trump could not have made a better choice.”
“Mike Pence spent 12 years Congress leading the charge on conservative issues including defunding Planned Parenthood. I look forward to working with him as Vice President. This is an excellent choice by Donald Trump, Mike Pence will be a unifying factor and conservatives will be very supportive," Concerned Women for America President and CEO Penny Nance echoed.
But not all are pleased with Pence as the choice. Over at The Federalist, David Harsanyi is calling Pence a fraud for backing down on the protection of religious liberty in Indiana and caving to pressure from the left.
"It’s commendable that Pence has such passionate feelings about the religious freedom of immigrants. If only he had similarly moved to support the Christian institutions in his own state. But then again, one of these positions took a modicum of courage, and the other took none," David Harsanyi writes.
Author Ann Coulter, who has been a staunch, unwavering and loyal Trump supporter, isn't happy with the choice.
Withholding comment until it's official, but if claims about Pence as VP are correct, boy was I right about this being Trump's first mistake
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 14, 2016
Pence is expected to speak at the RNC convention next week in Cleveland.