Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday told a ballroom full of grassroots activists that they helped make 2017 the most consequential year ever for the conservative movement, and said he and President Trump need them to “show up” in 2018 to defend their agenda.
“Because of all of you, because of the conservative majorities in Congress that you helped elect and because of the strong leadership of the president you’ve put in the White House, 2017 was the most consequential year in the history of the conservative movement,” Mr. Pence said at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference.
“Let this be the day that we as a movement decide to deliver another victory for the American people in 2018,” he said. “Your president and I need you to show up. Defend all that we’ve accomplished and all that we have yet do.”
“It’s been a year of promises made and promises kept,” he said.
Continuing what looks to be a central GOP strategy for the 2018 midterms, Mr. Pence knocked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for saying bonuses that companies gave out in the wake of last year’s $1.5 trillion tax-cut package were relative “crumbs” compared to the windfall the corporations received.
“Any leader who says that a thousand dollars in the pockets of working families is crumbs is out of touch with the American people,” Mr. Pence said.
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He also touted Mr. Trump’s moves to rebuild the military, support law enforcement, appoint conservative-minded judges, cut taxes, support the pro-life movement and crack down on illegal immigration.
“Make no mistake about it — we’re going to build that wall,” the vice president said.
Mr. Pence also delivered some tough talk about U.S. adversaries, saying the Islamic State terrorist group is on the run and that the Trump administration plans to move to decertify the Iran nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama.
On North Korea, he said “the era of strategic patience is over.”
“The United States doesn’t stand with murderous dictatorships — we stand up to murderous dictatorships,” Mr. Pence said.
He had been scheduled to meet with North Korean officials at the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but the North Koreans backed out at the last minute, according to the vice president’s office.
“We always stand for our flag and our national anthem as well,” Mr. Pence also said, an apparent reference to last year’s NFL protests.
That statement prompted chants of “USA! USA!” from the crowd at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside the Beltway in suburban Maryland.
Mr. Pence also took time at the beginning of his speech to address the recent Parkland, Florida, school shooting in which 17 people were killed and a dozen more were injured last week.
He said the administration will continue to take steps to make schools safe.
“As the president said, no child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school,” Mr. Pence said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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