Pence holding “town hall” campaign event in North Carolina

I was totally just asking him to see if he was – if Mr. Trump was approving.

Republican nominee for vice president Mike Pence is campaigning again in North Carolina, a battleground state running mate Donald Trump probably needs in his column to win the White House this November. That works for his supporters – it’s part of why they like him.

Unlike many vice-presidential running mates, the mild-mannered Pence was not tapped as the attack dog in the November 8 presidential election. Trump has battled criticism most of the week over his comments about Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a Muslim Army captain who died fighting in Iraq. Trump, by contrast, delights in using monikers such as “Crooked Hillary” and “the devil” to describe Clinton.

But Pence must walk a fine line.

Since his selection as Donald Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence has tried to stay focused on winning over conservatives skeptical of the NY billionaire.

“He’s staying consistent with his character and he’s not changing who he is, but he’s also careful not to criticize his spouse”, said Murphy, who has known Pence for almost 30 years. He also has to stick to his own principles while not appearing to be trying to undermine the man who chose him as his No. 2.

“To restore our country at home and overseas, we need new leadership”, Pence said, “and I’m looking forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with Donald Trump”.

“If you don’t like me”.

But there are no outward signs that Trump has any issues with Pence, or that his statements come as a surprise to the candidate at the top of the ticket.

Pence, the governor of IN, gave a speech and answered questions from an audience of about 300 people at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Trump’s off-the-cuff insults and controversial proposals, such as a temporary ban on Muslims entering the USA and a plan to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep immigrants out, have made many in the party establishment uneasy.

Trump has publicly feuded with the Khan family – the Muslim parents of a fallen United States soldier – and refused to endorse fellow Republicans Sen. Pence asked, to laughter.

Pence admonished the crowd to tone it down.

In a statement, Pence said he and Trump believe Khan is “an American hero” and said “his family, like all Gold Star families, should be cherished by every American”.

The 11-year-old who made national headlines this week for questioning Mike Pence about Donald Trump’s rhetoric said on Friday that he “wasn’t trying to be hostile” and emphasized his support for the Republican presidential nominee.

On several occasions in the past week he has found himself in direct conflict with Trump, choosing a different campaign tack or taking the sting out of the Republican presidential nominee’s incendiary remarks. That may be an added reason for Pence’s cautious approach.

“This party is united, this movement is united, and we’re going to make Donald Trump the next president of the United States of America!”