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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Pence Bashes the Media and Hillary Clinton

NORFOLK, Va. (CN) — News reporters and Hillary Clinton were enthusiastically booed Thursday at a Virginia Beach rally for Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence.

"The party in power seems helpless to figure out our nominee. Of course, I'm referring to the media," Pence said to cheers.

"Here in Virginia Beach, Virginia for the sake of our security, for the sake of our prosperity, for the sake of our God-given rights in our Constitution of the United States of America, let's decide right here and now that Hillary Clinton will never be elected president."

The doors opened at 11 a.m., four hours before Pence took the stage.

Radio host John Fredricks warmed up the crowd by sarcastically thanking reporters for attending, drawing lusty boos from the audience.

"The lackeys in mainstream media don't make the news," Fredricks said. "We do."

Like Pence, Fredricks bashed Clinton when he wasn't bashing the media: "We are going to send Hillary Clinton into permanent retirement," he said.

The crowd responded: "Crooked Hillary!" and "Lock her up!"

The rally, as so often this year during Donald Trump's campaign, was livened up by recordings of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Time is on My Side."

Pence told the swooning crowd that Trump was the solution.

"The choice could not be clearer: We can elect someone who literally personifies the failed establishment in Washington, D.C. or we can choose a leader who can fight every day to make America great again," the Indiana governor said.

"It's change versus the status quo, and when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America, the change will be huge."

Pence hammered on Trump's theme that the United States is stumbling on the world stage.

"In seven and a half years Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's policies have weakened America's place in the world," he said. "Terrorist heartbreaks at home and abroad. ... If you look at the wider Middle East it seems like the world is spinning apart. History teaches that weakness arises evil and Obama's and Clinton's policy of leading from behind, moving red lines, fading resets with Russia, and the rise, rule and reign of ISIS are a testament to that truth of history, and to the bad judgment of this administration."

Pence characterized the recent release of $400 million to Iran, under terms of the nuclear deal, as a "payoff" for the release of U.S. hostages, and said Trump would be tougher than that.

"Let me say clearly: In a Trump-Pence administration we will not negotiate or compensate with those who threaten our people. In a Trump administration we won't pay ransom to terrorist; they will pay the price.

"We just can't have four more years of apologizing to our enemies and abandoning our friends. America needs to be strong for the world to be safe, and Donald Trump will lead the free world."

Pence took a few questions from the crowd, but offered little in the way of direct answers.

Asked about the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, he said they should be handled at the state and local levels.

Asked about the much-criticized Veteran's Affairs and Social Security administrations, he said Trump would begin fixing them on day one, and Social Security would be protected, but first the economy must be fixed.

David Leon, 32, of Chesapeake, Va., a Navy aircraft crewman, called Pence's speech "motivating."

"It's good to see the power he will bring to the ticket. I really agree with him fixing benefits for the veterans and supporting women and men in blue."

Pence was to speak Friday night tonight in Norfolk, at the downtown Marriott, while Trump stumps in Florida.

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