In a 20-minute interview with 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl that aired Sunday evening on CBS, Trump said it didn't matter to him that the two have differed on major policy issues such as trade and the Iraq war.
“I don’t care” that Pence voted in favor of going to war in Iraq when he was in Congress, Trump said. “It’s a long time ago and he voted that way. They were also misled. A lot of information was given to people, but I was against the war in Iraq from the beginning.”
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Trump then leaned over and nudged Pence, “He’s entitled to make a mistake every once in a while.” The governor then broke into a laugh.
"But she's not?" Stahl asked, referring to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, often criticized by Trump for making the same vote.
"No, she's not," Trump said.
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Pence was quiet and low-key for much of the interview, while Trump cut in to answer questions intended for the governor. Pence acknowledged that the two had very different styles, but he said their visions are the same and that he wouldn’t hesitate to share his opinions with Trump.
“One of the things I found out about this man is that he appreciates candor,” Pence said.
Trump also offered new details about why he selected Pence as his running mate. The billionaire said he factored in Indiana’s economic record while Pence was governor. Trump said he also valued Pence’s 12 years of experience on Capitol Hill, which could help him advance his agenda. He said he wants an “active” vice president.”
Trump also said he took into consideration Pence’s relative popularity with conservative evangelicals, but added that he didn’t “need” the governor on board to win that group of voters.
“I think it helps but I don’t think I needed him, no, because I won with evangelicals,” Trump said.
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