TOLEDO, Ohio — "Well hello, Ohio!" Vice President Mike Pence said, addressing the crowd of hundreds at Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport in Swanton as he campaigned for President Donald J. Trump on Friday afternoon.
In front of hundreds of supporters set up in socially distanced chairs due to health practices for the coronavirus pandemic, the vice president touted how he and the president created the greatest economy in the history of the world, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, made the military strong again, and saved lives in how they handled the coronavirus pandemic. Pence said to get the job done, the administration needs four more years.
"We are just 11 days away from a victory all across Ohio and all across America. ... I'm here for one reason and one reason only: I know that Ohio and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House," he said.
WATCH | FULL PENCE RALLY
Pence also claimed the Trump administration has accomplished more to build the economy and jobs than the Obama administration.
The vice president threw out the numbers that 7 million new jobs have been created in the last three years including 82,000 in Ohio.
"Under three and half years under President Donald Trump, it's been promises made and promises kept," Pence said.
"Ohio, we have a choice to make: between a Trump recovery and a Biden depression. ... You gotta ask your neighbors and friends every day for the next 11 days here in the Buckeye State. Who do you really think can bring the economy back? A career politician ... or a proven job creator who will keep cutting taxes and red tape and putting American families and jobs first?
The statement drew chants of "FOUR MORE YEARS" from the assembled, socially distant crowd.
The vice president also drew attention to the previous night's debate, touching on issues of the American energy industry and health care.
"How about that debate last night? President Trump took it to Biden and he won, hands down," Pence said.
Pence pointed to the end of the debate on Thursday night, drawing on what Trump called a "big statement" by Biden when he said he would "transition away from the oil industry ... the oil pollutes, significantly. It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.” The Trump campaign is seizing on the opportunity to bolster his election chances in key states, and Pence expanded upon the remarks.
"Joe Biden and the radical left want to crush the energy industry under a Green New Deal. They want to abolish fossil fuels and ban fracking. America's strength and power comes in part from our vast natural resources. Under President Donald Trump, we are going to continue to develop all of the resources of this land," Pence said. "You deserve to know in Ohio, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want to end fracking, no matter what they're saying now."
Pence said that studies show that if fracking goes way, in Ohio up to 700,000 jobs could be lost. He pointed to Trump's championing of industry and ending the "war on coal."
Pence then discussed what he called the ills that the Trump administration inherited, saying the Trump administration has now revived the military and economy, supported law enforcement and tightened the U.S. borders.
Trump signed the most sweeping reforms to the VA in 50 years, Pence says. He then asked all the veterans in the audience to put their hands in the air and he thanked them for their service.
Pence also took a short moment to pay tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, saying the pause last month was appropriate, then took the opportunity to praise Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett and promised the Senate would confirm the choice for the high court.
"As the president of the senate, I'm going to be sitting there when it happens. She's going to be Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court of the United States," Pence said.
This led to discussion of "court packing," which is the practice of expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court. Pence criticized Biden for not putting a clear answer out on whether he would support the practice.
He then pivoted to social justice and religious liberty issues, claiming that the administration has gone a long way in improving the lives of Black Americans and saying Trump is the most pro-life president in American history.
"In three short years, we made America great again. And then the coronavirus struck from China," Pence said.
The mention of the pandemic, more than 30 minutes into his speech, was the first discussion of the virus by the leader of the nation's coronavirus task force. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and is spiking across Midwest states.
"We are just a few short weeks away from having the first coronavirus vaccine in the world. That's what leadership looks like," Pence said.
"Where Joe Biden is talking about shutting down the economy, we are opening up America again. In the last five months alone ... having lost 22 million jobs, we've seen 11.5 million people go back to work. We are opening up America again and we are opening up America's schools," he said.
The vice president said it would take four more years to "drain the swamp" in Washington, which was a key promise in the 2016 campaign. He also railed against what he said the Biden/Harris ticket stood for.
“When you look at their agenda of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine, a Green New deal, defunding the police, packing the courts, it’s clear Joe Biden would be nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left,” Pence said.
Pence closed by asking Ohioans to fight for the president, who every day "turns his face like flint against the wind" as he takes on what he describes as unrelenting assaults by "Democrats in Washington and their allies in the media" while he fights to "keep his promises to the people of Ohio."
"Go and vote, Ohio. Friends don't let friends vote alone. Vote to re-elect this president for four more years. Tell your friends why you came out today," Pence said. "Tell them everything that they're not hearing on their major national networks. ... The most powerful media in the world is word of mouth."
Pence closed by asking those who do to pray with confidence for himself and the president.
PRE-RALLY HIGHLIGHTS
Here are some highlights from the day, as they happen:
1:17 p.m.
Vice President Mike Pence is announced and takes the stage.
12:43 p.m.
The gates are closed to the event at the Grand Aire terminal.
12:15 p.m.
The vice president boarded Air Force 2 at 12:15 p.m. without a face mask and with a wave. He was not greeted by anyone. The flight to Swanton is about 50 minutes.
12 p.m.
Reports from the press pool say that the motorcade is en route to the Indianapolis International Airport for the flight to Ohio in Air Force 2.
11:45 a.m.
Amy Steigerwald brings you a live look at the growing crowd.
11:25 a.m.
Doors are now open to ticketholders for the event. People are streaming in and taking their seats, which are spaced apart for social distancing.
Reporter Amy Steigerwald is at the event, with this look at the current crowd.
Reporter Carla Bayron is at the entrance and spoke with some attendees, who noted the timing of the event was a great opportunity to hear what Vice President Pence has to say.
"I think it’s important because he’s gonna go through some of the topics I think Trump went through last time, and coming off the debate last night," said Cade Chappetta of Holland. "I think Trump was really on fire last night and I think it’ll be interesting to see what he has to say about that and some of the things Biden said."
8:15 a.m.
Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence voted absentee by drop box in Indianapolis.
6:45 a.m.
While nationally, early polls show Trump trailing Biden, the President's re-election campaign notes that those polls in 2016 were not to be trusted and a recent Gallup survey found 56% of registered voters said they were better off now than they were four years ago.
6:15 a.m.
Trump campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley spoke with WTOL about the importance of Ohio manufacturing jobs, emphasizing one of the reasons why Vice President Pence is making his fourth stop in Ohio in the past two months, during a crucial stretch before the election.
6:00 a.m.
Former Vice President Joe Biden's Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield released the following statement on behalf of the Democratic nominee's campaign, ahead of Vice President Pence's visit:
“Last night, Ohio voters heard President Trump deflect and dodge, but no amount of bluster will reverse the havoc his failed leadership has wreaked on working families. Today, Mike Pence is back in the Buckeye State for another rendition of Trump clean-up duty. It won’t be enough. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 Ohioans, 410,00 are out of a job, and more than one in five small businesses have shut their doors and may never reopen. It didn’t have to be this bad — and Ohio voters are fed up. At every turn, Joe Biden hasn’t just rolled up his sleeves for our workers — he’s delivered the opportunity, dignity and results Ohioans deserve. And as President, he’ll fight to make sure we build back better than before.”
5:30 a.m.
Reporter Michael Tatar is live at the airport, with word from the Trump-Pence campaign on health safety protocol in place for campaign events.
4:45 a.m.
The stage is set for Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Swanton. Tune in on air, online and on our app as reporter Michael Tatar brings the latest updates ahead of the campaign stop.
During his visit, Vice President Pence will address topics like trade deals, tax cuts and pro-job reforms.
According to the campaign website, State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari and State Senator Theresa Gavarone will join the Vice President for a Make America Great Again Victory Rally in Swanton.
The vice president's visit comes nearly two weeks after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made a stop in Toledo.
His visit is also just one day before Libertarian presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen makes her visit to the area as well. Jorgenson will be campaigning at noon at the Middlegrounds Metropark on the Maumee River.