Donald Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, don’t have much in common—politically, philosophically or personally. And their awkward marriage was on full display in the first interview the two gave together on Sunday on “60 Minutes.”
“It’s probably obvious to people we have different styles,” Pence, who served six terms in Congress, told Lesley Stahl. “I promise our vision is exactly the same.”
In the interview, Trump made clear that he chose Pence in part because he thought it would satisfy the “establishment” wing of the Republican party. “It was party unity. I’m an outsider,” Trump said. “People I wasn’t necessarily getting along with are loving this pick,” adding: “The main reason I picked him was the incredible job he did in Indiana,” as governor.
In the interview, it was clear that the two have big differences in policy, but Pence was more willing to paper over them. In December, Stahl noted, Pence had tweeted that Trump’s plan to bar Muslims from entering the United States was “offensive.” In the interview, Pence insisted that he now supports the temporary ban. Stahl didn’t ask why he’d changed his mind.
Pence, as a member of Congress, had also voted for major trade agreements, including NAFTA, which Trump has railed against. One of Trump’s key campaign promises has been to get rid of these “bad” agreements. “I’m not an isolationist,” Trump told Stahl. “I want to make great deals for our country.” Pence chimed in, saying that he believes that Trump will be able to “renegotiate” NAFTA and make it more advantageous for Americans.
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Pence also supported the Iraq War, which Trump has claimed to oppose from the beginning. “He’s allowed to make mistakes,” Trump said.
A devout Christian and family man, Pence has also said that he doesn’t believe in negative campaigning. Trump said that he doesn’t expect that Pence will call Hillary Clinton “crooked,” as Trump does. “But he will say how dishonest she is by going over the facts.”
Stahl asked Trump if he was “awed” or “intimidated” at the prospect of becoming president in such troubled times. (Trump said he was focused on how he could fix the problems.) At the end of the interview, Pence said: “This man is awed with the American people. He’s not intimidated by the world. And, Donald Trump, this good man, I believe, will be a great President of the United States.”
And finally, the two seemed to be on the same page. “I love what he just said,” Trump said.
This story was updated to make clear that Pence’s use of the words “awed” and “intimidated” were in response to Stahl’s questions.