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Monday, July 18, 2016

Typical of Trump-- do all the talking and wander all over the place.

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Four times Donald Trump answered Mike Pence’s questions on ’60 Minutes’
By Jenna Johnson, July 18, 2016



For their first lengthy public interaction, Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence opted for a sit-down interview with "60 Minutes." Trump did most of the talking during the 21-minute segment that aired Sunday night, while Pence sat beside him, gazing approvingly and allowing Trump to answer nearly all of the questions, even those directed at him.

By the end, Trump had uttered more than 2,160 words while Pence's word count clocked in around 900.

When Pence did get the chance to speak, Trump would often cut him off with a correction or answer of his own.

For example, as Pence tried to explain why he was at first opposed to Trump's ban on foreign Muslims, he began by pointing out that Trump "clearly ... is not a politician" and "doesn't speak like a politician."

"He speaks from his heart," Pence said earnestly.

Trump cut in: "Is that a good thing? I think that's a good thing. Well, I speak from my heart and my brain. Just so we understand."

Pence agreed: "Right."

Here are four times that Trump jumped in to answer a question on Pence's behalf:

1. Does Pence have chemistry with Trump? Early in the interview, Lesley Stahl of "60 Minutes" listed some of the glaring differences between the two men, who sat in gold throne-like chairs in Trump's lavish Manhattan penthouse. She described Pence as "very low-key, very religious" and Trump as "a brash New Yorker." Trump then insisted that he, too, was religious and that he won the votes of evangelicals. Stahl asked if Trump needed Pence to get evangelical voters.

"I think it helps," Trump said. "But I don't think I needed him, no, because I won with evangelicals."

Pence jumped in to explain: "But I think we have more in common...."

But then Trump finished his sentence for him: "...what might be immediately obvious."

Trump continued: "I think we will have very, very good chemistry. I feel that. And I can feel that pretty early on. I don't think you need to be with somebody for two years to find that out."



2. Can Pence stomach Trump's negative campaigning? Stahl brought up an essay that Pence wrote in early 1990s denouncing negative campaigning and asked him what he thought of Trump's tone. Pence started by simply saying that Trump is "a good man who's been talking about the issues the American people care about," but Stahl pressed him on Trump's name-calling.

"Lesley, Lesley," Trump said, butting into the question. "We're different people. I understand that. I'll give you an example: Hillary Clinton is a liar."

"That's negative," Stahl said, "by the way."

Trump rattled off a few of his nicknames for Clinton, then came to Pence's defense.

"He's not that kind of a person," Trump said. "We're different people. To me, she's 'Crooked Hillary.' I don't think he should use that term. I've never said one way or the other. But to him, I don't think it would sound right, but he will say how dishonest she is by going over the facts."

3. Would Pence confront Trump in the White House? Stahl told Pence to picture winning the election and having an office down the hall from the president, an image that made the governor gently smile. Stahl asked if Pence would be willing to confront Trump on his name-calling or to tell him when he had crossed a line and needed to apologize. As Pence struggled to answer, Trump smirked.

"Look, I," Pence started. "It's probably ... it's ... it's probably obvious to people that our styles are different, but I promise you, our vision is exactly the same. And let me be clear..."

Stahl wanted an answer to her scenario: "Will you answer that? Would you go in?"

"Well the ... one of the things I found out about this man is he appreciates candor," Pence said cautiously, seemingly unable to definitively say that he would not hesitate to challenge his boss.

As Stahl continued to press, Trump jumped in.

"I'd like him to if he thinks I was doing something wrong," Trump said.

"Would you listen to him?" Stahl asked.

"Absolutely," Trump said. "Absolutely. I might not apologize.... I might not do that, but I would absolutely want him to come in. If he thinks I'm doing something wrong, Mike, I would want him to come in.... I accept that from my consultants and my people, and if Mike came in and told me: 'You know, I think you should do this or that,' I would listen and very likely listen to him."

4. Does Pence think Sen. John McCain is not a war hero because he was captured? Given that Trump had just given Pence the okay to challenge him, Stahl asked Pence about the comment Trump made last year about McCain, saying that he's not a war hero because he was a prisoner of war.

"I have a great deal of respect for John McCain," Pence said carefully. "And..."

Stahl pressed: "Do you think he went too far?"

Trump jumped in: "You could say yes.... That's okay. That one, you could say, 'yes.'"

As Trump and Stahl bantered about that, Pence eventually jumped back in with his own answer.

"I promise you that when the circumstances arise where I have a difference on policy or on presentation, I can tell you in my heart, I know I would have no hesitation -- were I privileged to be vice president -- to walk into the president's office, close the door and share my heart," Pence said. "And I also know this good man would listen, and has the leadership qualities to draw from the people around him."
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