Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

In Henderson speech, Pence upbraids Clinton, says Trump will ‘upend the status quo’

Mike Pence Speaks in Henderson

Steve Marcus

Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence speaks at the Henderson Convention Center Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

Mike Pence Speaks in Henderson

Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence arrives with his wife Karen for a campaign stop at the Henderson Convention Center Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence made a measured, disciplined pitch for the GOP presidential ticket today at a Henderson rally, more tame and less flashy than rallies running mate Donald Trump has held on previous trips to Las Vegas.

Pence, speaking to a crowd of about 400 people at the Henderson Convention Center, peppered his speech with some of the conservative rhetoric Trump typically avoids, stressing the importance of his Christian faith, prayer and the fight against abortion.

His speech provided a contrast to Trump’s typically more secular addresses, which in Las Vegas have all taken place in casinos.

Pence said electing Trump means ensuring a conservative Supreme Court for the next 40 years, an argument that has held considerable weight with many conservatives otherwise unenthusiastic about Trump. He stressed the importance of the court in making decisions on issues from abortion to those involving the 2nd Amendment.

Pence said if people “bow the head or bend the knee” like he and his wife do, they should “humble themselves and pray” for the future of the country.

“If you want a president who will upend the status quo in Washington, D.C., and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, we have only one choice,” Pence said.

Building upon the theme of Trump as the “law and order candidate,” Pence emphasized the support he and Trump would give to law enforcement officers and the military. Pence got a standing ovation after he said he visited the Henderson Police Department before today’s speech.

“Donald Trump and I know our men and women in law enforcement are a force for good, a force for security and a force for everything that is right about this country,” he said.

Pence took repeated verbal shots at Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, saying she “personifies the failed establishment in Washington, D.C.,” and that the country is crying out for something new and different.

He also took aim at the media for going too easy on Clinton. “They’re so busy parsing every word Donald Trump said in the last 30 minutes, they apparently don’t have time to talk about what the Clintons have been doing for the last 30 years,” Pence said.

During a question-and-answer session, Pence told a man who asked how to reach the “uninformed voter” that the most powerful form of media is word of mouth, not cable TV shows, newspapers or Twitter.

Another person asked what could be done about the Bureau of Land Management’s control over federal lands and asserted the rights of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who led an armed standoff with law enforcement over cattle grazing rights, and his family members were being “trampled upon.”

Pence didn’t answer directly, instead pivoting back to the Supreme Court, saying the court is “literally on the ballot” this year.

Steve Sanson, a former state Assembly candidate who runs a veterans group, asked Pence what could be done to ensure veterans get help with mental health services so they don’t end up behind bars. Pence noted issues with mental health and opioid abuse across the country and said veterans were entitled to “world-class health care.”

A host of Nevada Republicans opened the rally for Pence, including congressional candidate Danny Tarkanian, Assemblyman Chris Edwards and state party Chairman Michael McDonald.

Edwards, focusing on veterans, touted Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush as examples of strong military leaders, while saying President Barack Obama has not done enough to support the military during his time in office. He said the country could not afford to have its military “marching to a drum banged by Hillary Clinton.”

He said the Trump would support American troops on and off of the battlefield and suggested that, for veterans, voting for the Republican ticket would be a continuation of their military service.

“Our service to our country did not end when we took off our uniforms,” Edwards said. “In fact, it continues to our dying breath.”

Tarkanian, meanwhile, stressed the importance of electing Republicans up and down the ballot, from Trump to U.S. Senate candidate Joe Heck to him in his race in the 3rd Congressional District.

He called states the “laboratories of democracy” and praised Pence as a great example of strong Republican leadership helming a state.

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