Mike Pence, Indiana Governor , is Donald Trump’s presidential pick for November 8 election, adding a known conservative voice to the real estate tycoon’s unusually different political 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.” Trump said in a tweet on Friday.
Pence, a longtime House lawmaker, has been Indiana’s governor since 2012, bringing political and legislative experience.
“Honored to join @realDonaldTrump and work to make America great again,” Pence wrote on twitter.
In December 2015, Pence had opposed Trump’s suggestion of a ban on Muslims entering the United States as offensive and unconstitutional.
Trump and his likely Democratic rival are currently tied at 40 percent support each among registered voters, according to a latest poll.
Reacting to Trump’s announcement of VP choice, Hillary Clinton’s campaign quickly ripped into Trump’s decision to pick Pence, painting him as “the most extreme pick in a generation and was one of the earliest advocates for the (ultraconservative) Tea Party (movement).”
In a statement, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said that Trump has chosen “the most extreme” vice presidential candidate “in a generation.”
“By picking Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump has doubled down on some of his most disturbing beliefs by choosing an incredibly divisive and unpopular running mate known for supporting discriminatory politics and failed economic policies that favor millionaires and corporations over working families,” Podesta said in a statement.
Pence’s opposition to abortion and other policies is drawing a flak from democratic groups, he is winning approval from Republican groups for his conservative ideas.