Mike Pence Campaign Speech Columbus, Ohio Transcript October 12

Vice President Mike Pence: (00:28)
Hello Ohio. The Lieutenant Governor Husted, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, my friend, Congressman Troy Balderson, the state Republican Chairman Jane Timken, all my fellow Americans near and far. It is great to be back in the Buckeye State. Happy Columbus Day. And it’s also great to be here with a family business that’s created near their 400 good paying Ohio jobs. Would you join me in thanking Marty Savko, Senior, Marty Savko, Jr., and all the great men and women of Savko & Sons. What a great family. And I appreciate y’all coming out today. But I’m here for one reason and one reason only, and that is that Ohio and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House. It’s on Ohio and the road to victory runs right through the Buckeye State.

Really is great to be with all of you. I had a busy week last week. I don’t know if you got to see it, but I had a little debate with Kamala Harris over in Salt Lake city. Some people think we did all right, but let me be clear with all of you. Let me be clear with all of you. That debate was not just a debate between two candidates for vice president. It was a debate between two visions. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine. They want to abolish fossil fuels. They want taxpayer funding of abortion, defund the police and pack the Supreme Court. Don’t you doubt it.

President Trump’s vision, we rebuild our military. We cut taxes. We roll back regulations. We unleashed American energy. We secured our border, supported law enforcement, stood for life and liberty and the Constitution of the United States.

Speaker 1: (03:02)
Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years.

And everything we’d done, obviously, got them a little bit worked up. But I got to tell you, when the people of Ohio compare the Biden Harris agenda with our agenda, the choice is clear. If you cherish faith and freedom, law and order and life in 22 days, we need you to reelect President Donald Trump for four more years. It’s true.

Four years ago, we inherited a military that’s been hollowed out by devastating budget cuts, an economy that was struggling to break out of the slowest recovery since the Great Depression.

Speaker 1: (04:06)
USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA.

Speaker 1: (04:06)
Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. Four more years.

Boy, is it good to be back in the Heartland? I’m telling you what. I grew up just right next door. I tell people I come from a place with people with strong hearts and strong opinions. But this is a country that loves the proud heritage, past, present and future of the good old USA.

Now, like I started to say, four years ago, we inherited a military that was hollowed out by reckless budget cuts, an economy that was struggling to break out of the slowest recovery since the Great Depression, terrorism was on the rise around the world, and we witnessed a steady assault on our most cherished values.

But in three short years, we rebuild our military, we restored the arsenal of democracy, and as your vice-president and the proud father of a United States Marine, I’m happy to report, we’re finally giving our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard the resources and the support that they need to defend this nation.

I mean, did you know when we took office… when we took office, there was a large number of aircraft in the Air Force that were kept on the ground to be used as spare parts, to keep other aircraft in the air. But thanks to President Donald Trump, those days are over. President Trump has signed the largest increase in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan. We’ve stood with those who serve and their families. And we’ve stood with all of you who wore the uniform of the United States of America.

When Joe Biden was Vice President, America saw years of heartbreaking scandal at the VA that shocked the conscience of the nation. I mean, here in this city that’s home to more than 100,000 veterans and you all live through it like we did. I mean, there were actually veterans who perished waiting to receive basic care at VA facilities. But under President Donald Trump, and I’m proud to report, we’ve signed the most sweeping reforms of the VA in 50 years. We fired thousands of VA employees that weren’t providing the care our veterans earned. And now Veterans Choice is now available to every veteran in America.

In fact, if you’re able to stand, please do, otherwise raise your hand. If you wore the uniform of the United States, would you just put your hand in the air and give us a chance to thank you one more time for your service to America. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your service. God bless you. Thank you.

Speaker 1: (08:40)
USA. USA. USA. USA.

Great Americans.

Speaker 1: (08:40)
USA. USA. USA.

We didn’t just rebuild our military and support our veterans. In our first three years, we revived the American economy. Where Joe Biden wants to raise taxes, President Trump cut taxes across the board for working families and businesses just like this one. We rolled back more federal red tape than any administration in American history. We unleashed American energy. We fought for free and fair trade. And it just three short years, businesses large and small created more than 7 million good paying jobs, including 97,000 jobs right here in the Buckeye State.

And a good example’s right here at Savko & Sons. I was talking to the family on my way in. They told me after President Trump’s tax cuts, the Savko’s bought 70 new pieces of equipment and trucks. Some of them are right around us here. More importantly, they told me they gave their employees substantial pay raises and Savko & Sons doubled in size and they are hiring today. What a great family and a great company.

It’s amazing to think this company started like so many other great American companies began, with Marty’s dad, his mom, and a wheelbarrow. He was an Army veteran, had just come back from World War II, the son of an immigrant, coal miner, who literally walked to Columbus from the mines of Western Pennsylvania. Nick Savko built everything that matters, a family, a business and a good name. He lived the American dream.

But today we’re joined by a woman without whom none of that would have been possible. She’s the daughter of an Italian immigrant. She helped lead this company for decades, the former Democrat, who’s now supporting President Donald Trump, 97 years young. Would you join me in welcoming, Gilda Savko, the matriarch of Savko & Sons. Thank you, Gilda. Thank you, Gilda. I walked up and Gilda said, “I’ve been praying for you.” And I said, “Well, that explains a lot.” Thank you, Gilda. Thank you for you and your example in your family. We’re so inspired.

We’ve stood for our national defense, for our veterans and for jobs and opportunities, businesses just like this one. And President Donald Trump has stood every day for the rule of law. We’ve appointed more than 200 conservatives to our federal courts at every level and they are all men and women who will uphold all the God-given liberties in our constitution, like the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech and the second amendment right to keep and bear arms. Now, last month we rightly-

Now last month we rightly paused as a nation to honor the life and service of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But when the memorials were over, President Donald Trump fulfilled his duty under the Constitution, and he nominated an extraordinary, principled, conservative woman to the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Now the Senate started their confirmation hearings this morning, all the senators were doing their opening remarks. The questioning will probably start tomorrow and the president said, “Democrats on the judiciary committee need to give Judge Barrett a respectful and dignified hearing this time.” But we have reason to be concerned. You all remember the attacks on Judge Barrett’s faith, when she was confirmed to the Court of Appeals just two years ago. Democrats and their Hollywood friends have already started to attack Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Christian faith as well, this time around.

Back then one Democrat questioned her qualifications because he called her quote, “An Orthodox Catholic.” Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris actually attacked another one of our nominees to the federal courts because he was a member of the Catholic Knights of Columbus. And the ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee says, “Judge Barrett’s Catholic faith was of concern.” And said, quote, “The dogma lives loudly within you.” Well, I got news for the Democrats and their friends in Hollywood. That dogma lives loudly in me. That dogma lives loudly in you and the right to live, to work, to worship according to the dictates of our faith and conscience lives in the Constitution of the United States of America.

These attacks on religious faith must stop and they must stop now. Now the Senate has a job to do and after they discharged their duty to advise and consent, I’ll make a prediction. Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be Justice Amy Coney Barrett. We’re going to fill that seat.

Speaking of the Supreme Court, the American people also deserve to know that Democrats are actually talking about adding seats to the Supreme Court. It’s called packing the court, if they win this election. It would be nothing less than the biggest power grab in American history. They want to pack the court with liberal judges. They want to tear down more than a century and a half of judicial independence in this country. After 150 years with nine seats on the Supreme Court of the United States, Democrats in Washington are talking about packing the court. And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won’t tell the American people what they’re going to do. Joe Biden refused to answer the question during the presidential debate.

You might’ve seen Kamala Harris refuse to answer the question that when I posed it to her during the vice presidential debate. And last Friday, Joe Biden was asked if voters deserve to know if he plans to pack the court? And Joe Biden said, quote, “No, they don’t.” Well Joe, yes, they do. The American people deserve a straight answer and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to come clean with the American people and come clean right now. When you’re running for the highest court in the land, the American people deserve to know whether you’re going to respect the highest court in the land. The truth is there’s only one explanation why they won’t answer the question, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to pack the Supreme Court, but we’re not going to let it happen. We’re going to re-elect President Donald Trump for four more years in the White House. And we’re going to preserve an independent judiciary for generations to come.

So we’ve stood for the rule of law and an independent judiciary. And every single day, President Donald Trump has stood with the men and women who serve on the thin blue line of law enforcement and we always will. Let’s hear it for all those in law enforcement who are with us here today.

I like to say all my heroes wear uniforms, whether it’s those you who wore the uniform of the United States or those of you who put on the uniform of law enforcement. I have to tell you, since I was a little boy, we’d go up to we’d visit my grandparents and we were there with my uncle who was a Chicago police officer for 25 years. He’d come out in the morning, dressed in that uniform, sidearm strapped to his belt. Me and my three brothers would just looked at him in awe. I think you all know, the men and women who serve in law enforcement in this country are the best people in America. And they deserve the respect of every American every day. Thank you for your service.

Now, President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest, but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest. Burning businesses is not free speech, violence against innocent civilians, the destruction of property or violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated. And those who do these things will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Now for months all Joe Biden talked about was peaceful protestors, remember? All summer long. As the American people literally watch businesses in their communities burn to the ground.

I was in Minneapolis, not long ago. I traveled with Flora Westbrook. A wonderful African-American business owner who told me of that night, just a few days after the killing of George Floyd. That she watched violent protesters come closer and closer and closer to her business. A business that she built a little salon, 35 years ago and they burned her out. And I stood alongside what remains of her business, just a few short weeks ago. And I told flora from the heart of this president and the heart of the American people, we’re going to rebuild that business. We’re going to rebuild that community bigger and better than ever before.

Flora, and all those like her who’ve been victimized by these violent protestors and rioters deserve nothing less. But the truth is Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to violence in our cities. I mean, when you start to withdraw support for those who protect and serve, you only emboldened those who would do harm to our communities and our families.

Now, Joe Biden explains it all by saying that America is in his words, systemically racist. And that police as he said, and his running mate said last week. That police have a quote, ” Implicit bias against minorities.” When Joe Biden was asked if he’d support cutting funding of law enforcement, he said, “Yes, absolutely.” Let me make your promise. Under President Donald Trump, we’re going to back the blue. We’re not going to defund the police, not now, not ever. Under President Donald Trump, we’re going to have law and order in every city, in every state for every American of every race and creed and color. So help us God. The president and I know what you know, we don’t have to choose between supporting law enforcement and supporting our African-American neighbors and families. We have done both for the last three and a half years, and we’re going to keep supporting law enforcement and keep expanding opportunities and jobs and education for African-Americans and all of our minorities for four more years.

So we’ve stood for the rule of law, for law and order and all the values that have made this country great. And I can’t tell you how proud I am to be vice-president to a president who stands without apology for the sanctity of human life. Where Joe Biden supports taxpayer funding of abortion all the way up to the moment of birth, President Donald Trump is the most pro-life president in American history.

So we’ve rebuilt our military, revived our economy, stood for law and order, liberties in life. In three short years, we made America great again. And none of that would have been possible without the strong support of our allies in Congress. That’s why we need to send Congressman Troy Balderson back to a new Republican majority that retires Nancy Pelosi once and for all.

What a great guy and what a great, great champion of this administration. Thank you, Congressman Balderson. So we made great progress in our first three years, and then the coronavirus struck from China. But I’m here to tell you, when there were just five cases of the coronavirus in the United States, President Trump did what no other American president had ever done, he suspended all travel from China, the second largest economy in the world. Now, Joe Biden said that was “hysterical, xenophobic.” He actually wrote in the month of January that banning travel “would make things worse.” But I can tell you, as the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, President Donald Trump’s action, suspending travel from China, saved untold American lives and it bought us time to stand up the greatest national mobilization since World War II. It’s true.

We reinvented testing. We saw to the factoring delivery of hundreds of millions of medical supplies to our incredible doctors and nurses. We developed medicines that are literally saving lives and we are on track to have the first safe and effective coronavirus vaccine before the end of this year, it’s going to happen. As the President said on the South Lawn on Friday, through the power of American science and medicine, we will eradicate the China virus once and for all. I spoke to the President this morning and I’m happy to report to all of you here in the Buckeye State, the President and the First Lady are doing great and he is back on the road today. But let me take this opportunity on behalf of the President to say how move we’ve all been by the outpouring of prayers concern for the first family. I know how much it’s meant to them. But he and I both believe it’s really just a reflection of the outpouring of concern and prayers, and care that the American people have shown to all of our neighbors throughout this pandemic.

So can we just take a moment to show our appreciation for the doctors, the nurses, the first responders, those in ministry, all those that have come alongside our families who have suffered loss and struggled with this pandemic, we are so grateful to you all. Thank you so much. So every day we’re one day closer to that day we put the coronavirus in the past with a vaccine and medicines. But in the meantime, I promise you we’ll keep protecting the vulnerable. Keep making sure our healthcare workers have all the supplies they need. We’ll keep saving lives. And were Joe Biden is talking about shutting down the economy, President Donald Trump, he’s opening up America again. I mean, after losing 22 million jobs at the height of this pandemic, I’m proud to report to you that we’ve already seen 11 and a half million Americans go back to work, including more than 400,000 people right here in the state of Ohio.

We’re not just opening up America, we’re opening up America’s schools. We just announced about two weeks ago that we’re sending a hundred million rapid tests for the coronavirus to every school system, every school nurse in America. So our kids can get back in the classroom and stay back in the classroom safe and sound. The schools are opening and thanks to President Donald Trump in just two short weeks, it’s going to be, O-H-

Audience: (28:32)
I-O!

Buckeye football is coming back. How good is that? In fact, I just heard that the quarterback who won the national championship back in 2014 is actually with us today. Cardale Jones, where are you? Let’s hear it for Cardale Jones. O-H-

Audience: (29:06)
I-O!

I’ll tell you what, it’s a little tough for this Hoosier to cheer for Ohio State, but I know how excited you all are, we are too. So we’ve gone through a time of testing. You all are here today because three weeks from tomorrow, we’re coming to a time for choosing. The choice in this election has never been clearer, the stakes have never been higher. It’s amazing to think in the middle of a global pandemic, Joe Biden wants to raise taxes by four trillion dollars. President Trump, we not only cut taxes across the board in our first four years, we’re going to keep cutting middle class taxes for four more years. Joe Biden wants to bury our economy under an avalanche of regulation. He had to be reminded in that presidential debate that he supports the Green New Deal. He wants to put us back in that Paris Climate Accord. President Trump, he unleashed American energy. We’ve stood with coal miners in Eastern Ohio and now America’s a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. Joe Biden’s for open borders, sanctuary cities, free lawyers and free healthcare for illegal immigrants. President Trump, he’s made record investments in border security. We’ve already built more than 300 miles of that border wall on the Southern border of the United States. And with four more years, we’re going to fix this broken immigration system once and for all. And when it comes to jobs and trade, contrast is clearer still. Here in the Heartland, I don’t have to tell any of you about the impact of NAFTA over the last 25 years. Over in the Hoosier state, we literally saw entire communities shuttered, jobs shipped south of the border. 60,000 factories closed in the 25 years after NAFTA was signed into law. And Joe Biden never lifted a finger to reform it or renegotiate it. But thanks to the man who wrote the Art of the Deal, Ohio got a better deal. NAFTA is gone and the U.S.M.C.A. is here to stay. It’s a win for Ohio and a win for America.

And for decades, for decades we saw America losing out to China in international trade. When we came into office, half of our international trade deficit was with communist China, $500 billion a year lost to that one country. Joe Biden’s been a cheerleader for communist China all along the way. He actually said that the rise of China was a positive development for America. And Joe Biden wants to repeal all the tariffs that President Trump has put into effect to hold China accountable and level the playing field for American workers. President Trump, he put China on notice on day one and the era of economic surrender is over. We’re going to stand strong until China opens their markets to U.S. goods and respects the intellectual property rights of American businesses.

Audience: (33:04)
USA! USA! USA!

So we’ve stood strong for security, prosperity, free market principles, and putting America first. And as President Trump said at Mount Rushmore, we’ve also stood against those who would, in his words, wipe out our history, defame our heroes, and erase our values. But the truth is Joe Biden and today’s Democratic Party have been giving in to the most radical voices in this country. Voices that want to cancel our culture and erase our history. On this Columbus Day, we should remember that day earlier this year when radicals toppled the Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Beheaded the statue of the great explorer in Boston. And here in Columbus, Ohio, last summer in the dead of night, your Democrat mayor took down the statue of Christopher Columbus outside city hall.

Audience: (34:07)
Boo!

And he did that despite the fact that proud Italian-American families like the [inaudible 00:34:17] family actually paid to import that stature from Italy 65 years ago. And folks it’s still going on. I don’t know if you saw on the news this morning but last night, violent protesters in Portland tore down statues of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. The truth is, as the President has said, today the radical left is determined to tear down every statute, symbol and memory of our national heritage. But the American people are strong and proud. We will not allow our country and all its history and culture to be taken away from us. That’s one more reason why we need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House.

Audience: (35:06)
Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

When you look at their agenda, tearing down our economy, tearing down our institutions, tearing down our history. It’s clear, Joe Biden would be nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left. Now, Joe Biden has said that democracy is on the ballot. Well, I think our economic recovery is on the ballot. Law and order are on the ballot. But there are also things far more foundational to our country that are on the ballot as well. In this election-

[inaudible 00:36:00]. In this election, I think it’s not going to be whether America will end up more conservative or more liberal, more red or more blue, more Republican or more Democrat. I think the choice in this election is whether America remains America. Whether we’re going to allow Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to steer our nation on a leftward path toward more government, less freedom, and abandonment of our most cherished ideals in history, or whether we’re going to reaffirm our commitment to everything that’s always made America great.

So, I want to say to each and every one of you here, three weeks and one day away from election, for our freedom and all the ideals that have made this nation exceptional and great, we need to decide right here and right now that Joe Biden will never be president of United States of America. We’re going to re-elect President Donald Trump for four more years.

It’s on, Ohio. It’s going to take all of us. Ohio always looms large in presidential elections all throughout our history, and that’s just as true today. So, we need you to tell your neighbors and friends. Just say, “Hey, I was over at Savko & Sons the other day. I ran into Mike, and he was telling me we need four more years.” And if they say to you, “What’s that mean?” Say, “Well, four more years means more jobs. Four more years means more judges. Four more years means more support for our troops and our police.” And you tell them I said it’s going to take at least four more years to drain that swamp.

Oh, we’re draining it. Four years ago, a movement was born. The movement of everyday Americans from every walk of life. Here in Ohio, you believe we could be strong again. You believe we could be prosperous again. You believe America could be proud again, stand tall in the world again. You said yes to President Donald Trump in 2016, and I know the Buckeye State’s going to say yes to four more years of President Donald Trump in 2020.

I’ve really only known this president for about four years. We’d met each other a couple of times along the way, but when I met him, before he asked me to join this ticket I sensed what you did four years ago. I sensed a vision, a belief in America, a belief in the American people, and the leadership qualities to make it happen. I joined that ticket in a heartbeat.

Some people think we’re kind of different.

Speaker 2: (39:26)
You’re not different.

But I got to tell you’ve gotten be to very close friends, and it’s the greatest honor in my life to be vice president to President Donald Trump. It is, and I thank you for the honor. But I want to tell you something, I’ve seen it firsthand, I’ve been at his side every day for the last three and a half years, and I’ll make you a promise. Even when the cameras are off and nobody’s around there’s not a day gone by that President Donald Trump hasn’t gotten up and fought to keep the promises that he made to the people of Ohio. Now it’s our turn to fight for him. It’s on, Ohio. We got to bring it. We got to bring it.

So, keep bringing all this enthusiasm. Keep voicing your support. Talk about all that we’ve accomplished all across the Buckeye State and all across America. Let me give you a couple of tasks. Number one, vote, Ohio. Vote to re-elect President Donald Trump. I actually heard that early starting already started here. Early voting. In fact, I checked on my way here, you can actually leave from here and go to the Franklin County Board of Elections at 1700 Morse Road. They’re open until 5:00 today. Go and vote to re-elect President Donald Trump, and remember, friends don’t let friends vote alone. Bring a friend. Get it done. Get it done early. Then we need you to go to work. You need to reach out to your neighbors and friends and tell them what’s at stake in this election. Volunteer your time. Make some phone calls. Knock on a few doors. Do everything you can. Finally, if you’re of a mind of bow the head and bend the knee from time to time, in the next three weeks and one day I’d encourage you to do that too.

In all of my travels over the last four years, I’m convinced of two things. America is a freedom-loving nation and America is a nation of faith. It truly is. And so, in these challenging times where that little girl that asked the question at the end of the vice-presidential debate, where you turn on the television and it seems like there’s more that divides us than unites us in this country, I’ll always believe that there’s a wellspring of support that unites us in America far beyond anything that could divide us, and that’s the faith of the American people. So, in the days between now and election day, I’d encourage you to pray. And on this one, I just encourage you to pray for all of the American people.

In these challenging times, global pandemic, times of division and dissension in our nation, I still believe that if his people who are called by his name will humble themselves and pray, in turn, that he’ll do like he’s always done through the long and storied history of this nation. He’ll hear from heaven and he’ll heal this land. This one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. So, pray for America. Pray for all the American people. It’ll make a difference.

And I’m absolutely convinced when you get out and vote and bring your neighbors, and friends, and family to the polls between now and election day, when you get out and tell that story that with your continued support and prayers every day between now and November 3rd, we’re going to make Ohio and America more prosperous than ever before. We’re going to make Ohio and America safer than ever before. And with Troy Balderson and a new Republican majority in the House of Representatives, with a re-elected Republican majority in the United States Senate, with President Donald Trump in the White House for four more years and with God’s help, we’re going to make America great again. Again.

Thank you all very much. God bless you. God bless, America. Let’s go get it done.

Mike Pence Campaign Speech Columbus, Ohio Transcript October 12

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