CAMBRIDGE, Ohio -- Republican vice presidential hopeful Mike Pence promised “tax reform, regulatory reform, trade reform and energy reform” if his running mate, Donald Trump, is elected as commander-in-chief this November.
After receiving a number of ringing endorsements from local and state Republican officials, the Indiana governor addressed an enthusiastic crowd of about 500 at the Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge on Wednesday night. In his speech, Pence laid out Trump’s domestic and foreign policy, which he said will "upend the status quo and uphold the Constitution of the United States."
Trade and the Economy
Pence told those gathered that Ohio, like his home state of Indiana, has experienced a sluggish recovery following the Great Recession nearly a decade ago. But, under a Trump presidency, Pence says "we're going to get this economy working for everybody in this country."
The VP candidate summarized, "We'll simplify taxes for everyone, streamline deductions, we will cut taxes across the board of every American. And also, Donald Trump is committed to taking that high business tax that's driving companies out of Ohio and out of this country and lowering it so our businesses can compete with businesses around the world."
Pence also pointed to his own economic experience as governor of Indiana, saying "We have more Hoosiers going to work now than in the 200 years that we’ve been a state." He pointed to his record of "common sense, conservative leadership," and noted, "I’ve cut taxes every single year that I’ve been governor of Indiana."
Pence also framed Trump as "one of the best negotiators on Earth," who would maintain free trade while restructuring trade deals "so they will work for the people of Ohio and the people of this country."
Energy and Coal
The Indiana governor wasted little time in reiterating Clinton's comment from the campaign trail last year, that if she were elected president, "a lot of coal companies will go out of business." Pence said his running mate, on the other hand, will help end the so-called "War on Coal" in Appalachia.
"Donald Trump digs coal, and we're going to get coal back in business. We're going to end the 'War on Coal,' and on day one of this administration, Donald Trump is going to repeal every one of those job-killing executive orders that Barack Obama has signed into law."
Pence, whose home state of Indiana is among a number of coal-producing states in the Midwest, said that Trump spent Wednesday morning meeting with coal miners and producers in Abingdon, Va. Trump previously received the endorsement of Robert Murray, CEO of the St. Clairsville, Ohio-based Murray Energy, who has been brutally critical of President Obama's clean-energy policies.
Security at Home and Abroad
Pence framed Trump as a leader who "will restore law and order to every city and every community in this great nation” through his support of law enforcement and the military. Pence said that "America needs to be strong for the world to be safe,” adding that "Donald Trump as president will rebuild our military, stand with strength on the world stage and confront and destroy those who threaten our freedom and our allies."
The VP hopeful received perhaps his biggest applause of the evening when he talked about border security, echoing Donald Trump’s refrain of building a wall on the United States' southern border. "And if you want a president who will build strong borders, build a wall and enforce the laws of the country for the citizens of this country, then we have but one choice. And I'm here to tell you, Ohio, that man is ready."
Pence described Trump as a man that would defend America's allies, but pivoted to say, "He’s a genuine American leader and he drives all those people in Europe crazy."
Pence as "Attack Dog"
After weeks of defending Trump in the national media, Pence took on the more-traditional "attack dog" role that vice presidential candidates typically serve. He took shots at President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and ex-Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who is challenging Republican Sen. Rob Portman in one of the most contentious and expensive races in the U.S.
Pence continued to frame Trump as a "Washington outsider," saying "At the very moment that America is calling out for something new and different, the other party is taking the same old tactics and putting forward the most predictable of names." Pence did not leave the Republican establishment unscathed in his attacks, either. "I think we're tired of being told that this is as good as it gets. I think we're tired of being told by an established in Washington, D.C. that says, no, this person and these people and these policies are really doing to turn things around, this time. We're tired of being told by politicians, frankly, in both political parties, that they'll get to solving those problems tomorrow when they continue to pile a mountain range of debt on our children and our grandchildren."
Trump, the Establishment and Ohio
While Pence spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in Cambridge on Wednesday night, they were mighty-but-small: an organizer with Trump's national campaign told AVC News that fewer than 500 people attended the rally, which was expected to draw more than 1,000 people to the Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center. Many of those gathered were ardent Trump supporters, while others were there to support local candidates or the Republican party, as a whole.
Ohio Republican leaders have been lukewarm in their reception of Donald Trump as the nation's top Republican, as well. Notably, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has repeatedly declined to endorse Trump, saying as recently as this week that the billionaire businessman's brash style is too divisive for him to support.
The most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll puts Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump, 43 percent to 38 percent, in Ohio. ◇