As the Republican National Convention draws near, Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has chosen Indiana Governor, Mike Pence, as his running mate. After Trump announced, via Twitter obviously, that Pence would be his running mate, much of the focus was placed on the interesting looking campaign logo (which you can see below).
Unlike Trump, Pence is not well known to the general public, so to get to know Mike Pence here's where he stands on some key issues:
1. The economy
Pence could be considered a fiscal conservative. He believes in lower taxes and less government spending. His past policies as governor of Indiana have benefited businesses as well as the wealthy. Also, unlike Trump, Pence is a firm supporter of NAFTA.
2. LGBTQ+ rights
Remember that "religious freedom" bill from last year in Indiana which would make it easier for businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples? Well, Pence was right at the center of that. He's also tried to ban same-sex marriage in his state. In 2007 he voted against a bill which would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. He voted for a bill that would make it harder to prosecute hate crimes and supported the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military.
3. Abortion
Planned Parenthood called Mike Pence, "One of the few politicians who cares less about women's health and lives than Donald J. Trump does." Recently he signed an anti-abortion bill which would prevent women from having an abortion because of the gender, race or disability of the fetus. It would also mean that any doctor who performs an abortion for any of these reasons could be liable for wrongful death.
4. Immigration
Pence has called for increased border security, including voting for a bill to build a fence on the Mexican border. He's also voted for bills that would allow for sick, undocumented immigrants who needed hospitalization to be deported. However, when Donald Trump called for his ban on Muslim immigrants, Pence said it was "offensive and unconstitutional."
