(The Center Square) – Vice President Mike Pence rallied support for President Donald Trump’s re-election effort in Arizona Tuesday.
Pence landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport shortly after 10 a.m. and met Gov. Doug Ducey and other Republican officials on the tarmac before heading to two events.
After speeches from Ducey, Sen. Martha McSally and others, Pence officially accepted the Arizona Police Association’s endorsement at their event in Tucson.
“Law enforcement isn’t the problem,” Pence told supporters. “Law enforcement is the solution. You are, literally, what separates order from chaos and security is the foundation for our prosperity.”
Protesters, some wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, shouted at Pence when he approached the podium.
He said former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and Trump’s opponent, would foment lawlessness and “bury our economy under a sea of red tape” and raise billions of dollars in taxes.
Pence criticized protesters tearing down statues, saying they “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
He touched on the police officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“No one hates bad cops more than good cops,” he said. “There’s no excuse for what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis and justice will be served. But, there’s no excuse for rioting and looting and the arson that took place in the days that followed.”
After Pence’s 33-minute speech, the vice president went to Mesa to address a crowd at a Latter Day Saints for Trump event.
A devout Christian, Pence hopes to gin up support for Trump among the LDS community in Arizona. The thrice-married president is rarely reported to attend church. Pence was introduced by U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a Mesa Republican, and member of the LDS church.
The vice president’s speech was similar to what he gave to police earlier in the day but with greater emphasis on religious freedom and the Trump administration’s efforts to maintain religious landmarks despite court challenges to remove them.
“We’re standing strong for religious liberty,” he said, touting the more than 200 judges Trump has appointed.
Pence jabbed at Biden’s flip-flop on abortion rights, specifically his new stance on repealing the Hyde Amendment. Named after Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde, the statute bans federal funds to pay for abortions.
He mentioned Biden’s announcement that he’d chosen Sen. Kamala Harris, a California Democrat and former attorney general.
“Congratulations,” Pence said. “I’ll see you in Salt Lake City.”
* This article was originally published here
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