Pence's campaign bus involved in minor accident
Vice President Mike Pence's campaign bus was involved in a minor accident Thursday morning while driving to a "Cops for Trump" event in Pennsylvania.
Pence, who was unhurt, moved from the campaign bus to a limousine for the remainder of the ride, but minutes later, according to pool reports, two motorcycles accompanying Pence's motorcade also had an accident.
About 10 minutes into the drive from the Allegheny Airport, on the way to Greenburg, where the event was taking place, the campaign bus had what the vice president's office described as a "minor fender bender." Pool reporters covering the vice president said the accident took place on a road with a very sharp curve.
After the bus accident, in White Oak, Pennsylvania, two motorbike escorts for the vice president's motorcade were involved in a second accident, also described as minor. Pool reports say the vice president left his car to speak with one of the police escorts and an ambulance was present on the scene.
For the second time this month, Pence is campaigning in Pennsylvania, a state President Trump won by 44,000 votes in 2016. The Trump campaign is confident of winning the state again in November.
Last week on a call with reporters, campaign manager Bill Stepien pointed out Pennsylvania has "been trending Republican in presidential cycles for the past decade" and added that Republican voter registration numbers have increased since 2017, while Democratic voter registration in the state has declined.
Stepien, who recently took over as campaign manager, predicted President Trump would be reelected if he wins any one of the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin or Michigan, as long as he's also victorious in every other state he won in 2016. Mr. Trump won all three of those states four years ago.
Thursday's event, focused on juxtaposing the administration's support for law enforcement against accusations that the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, would defund the police. Biden, however, has said he does not support defunding the police.
The crowd in Greensburg jeered loudly today when Pence said "leading politicians in the Democratic Party today liken law enforcement officers to storm troopers." He added, "Law enforcement isn't the problem. Law enforcement is the solution."
Pence thanked police officers and promised that the Trump administration would "back the blue with more resources and more support." He told the audience to remember that law and order and safety of American families are at stake when Democrats call for defunding the police and added that communities should not have to pick between supporting the police and African-Americans.
"The truth is you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America," Pence said. "Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to violence on the streets of America's cities," he added.
