MIke Pence: ‘Police Officers Are The Best Of Us’

During the October 4 Vice Presidential Debate, Republican vice president nominee Mike Pence commented on the growing tension between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Pence’s running mate, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has long stood with with Police against the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to the Independent Journal Review, Pence began by stating that “police officers are the best of us”.

“The men and women, white, African-American, Asian, Latino, Hispanic, they put their lives on the line every single day,” Pence continued.

Pence then condemned those who “seize upon tragedy” after police shootings and accuse law enforcement of “implicit bias or institutional racism.” Pence added, “[t]his has got to stop”.

Pence turned the argument against his Democratic opponent, Sen. Tim Kaine, notes Vanity Fair. “Senator please, enough of this seeking every opportunity to demean law enforcement broadly by making the accusation of bias every time tragedy occurs,” Pence concluded.

“People shouldn’t be afraid to bring up issues of bias in law enforcement,” Kaine responded. “I can’t believe you are defending the position that there is no bias in policing.”

Kaine also commented on Trump’s defense of “stop and frisk” policing.

The Democratic vice president nominee said that it would be a big mistake,” because it “polarizes the relationship between the police and the community.”

When asked during the first presidential debate how he would heal the divide between law enforcement and the African-American community, Trump called up law and order, notes NPR.

“Well, first of all Secretary Clinton doesn’t want to use a couple of words and that’s law and order,” Trump began. “And we need law and order. If we don’t have it, we’re not going to have a country. And when I look at what’s going on in Charlotte, the city I love, the city where I have investments, when I look at what’s going on throughout various parts of our country, whether it’s…I can keep naming them all day long — we need law and order in our country.”

Sources: Independent Journal Review, Vanity Fair, NPR / Photo Credit: PBS Newshour via Mike Pence / Instagram