--- title: Republican Convention: How Mike Pence Tried to Heal the Rift description: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, delivering his first speech as Trump’s running mate, set out to do what he was picked to do: help heal the party. canonical: https://time.com/4416519/republican-convention-mike-pence-rift/ author: Jay Newton-Small article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-21T06:25:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-06T09:42:42.838Z article:section: Politics og:title: How Mike Pence Tried to Heal the Republican Rift og:description: After Ted Cruz's speech. og:url: https://time.com/4416519/republican-convention-mike-pence-rift/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta468fbf25905c9b5/69889cfacf40a8b811c4418d/christopher-morris-rnc-republican-national-convention-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5032 og:image:height: 2831 og:image:alt: TIMEPOL RNC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Mike Pence Tried to Heal the Republican Rift twitter:description: After Ted Cruz's speech. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta468fbf25905c9b5/69889cfacf40a8b811c4418d/christopher-morris-rnc-republican-national-convention-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Mike Pence Tried to Heal the Republican Rift > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1e31f94d-79db-4fda-80c3-90740f553b75&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch Mike Pence Speak at the Republican Convention [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Mike Pence Speak at the Republican Convention](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/efUty1iF.m3u8) (2:17)  _Published 2016-07-21. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence made his national debut with a speech at the Republican national convention with a self-deprecating speech that focused on his running mate, Donald Trump._  by [Jay Newton-Small / Cleveland](https://time.com/author/jay-newton-small/)  ## Jay Newton-Small / Cleveland Jul 21, 2016 6:25 AM UTC Indiana Gov. Mike Pence made his national debut with a speech at the Republican national convention with a self-deprecating speech that focused on his running mate, Donald Trump.  by [Jay Newton-Small / Cleveland](https://time.com/author/jay-newton-small/)  ## Jay Newton-Small / Cleveland Jul 21, 2016 6:25 AM UTC After Texas Sen. Ted Cruz [pointedly failed to endorse Donald Trump](http://time.com/4416260/republican-convention-ted-cruz-speech/?xid=homepage) in his primetime speech at the Republican convention, it was left to the two other keynote speakers to repair the damage. The first to try was former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who [gamely deviated from his script](http://time.com/4416407/republican-convention-newt-gingrich-ted-cruz-transcript-video-speech/) in an attempt to recast Cruz’s words in a more favorable light. “Now I think you misunderstood one paragraph that Ted Cruz, who is a superb orator, said, and I just want to point it out to you, Ted Cruz said you can vote your conscience for anyone who will uphold the Constitution. In this election, there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution,” he said. “So to paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you want to protect the Constitution of United States, the only possible candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket,” he added. It was not an entirely convincing moment, but Gingrich didn’t make it to the final round of Trump’s vice presidential selection for lack of effort. Still, in the end, it came down to the winner of that particular competition to try to salvage the evening. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, [delivering his first speech as Trump’s running mate,](http://time.com/4416456/republican-convention-mike-pence-video-speech-transcript/) set out to do what he was picked to do: help heal the party. Pence’s speech was, by design it seems, reassuringly dull. Trump “is a man known for a colorful personality, a lot of charisma,” he joked. “I guess he was just looking for some balance on the ticket.” Pence is about as conservative as they come, having [endorsed Cruz in the Indiana primary](http://time.com/4312630/mike-pence-ted-cruz-endorsement-indiana-primary/) only to see his state vote overwhelming for Trump. “I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order,” he said. He was patently aware of that he doesn’t enter the race with much name recognition. “For most of you who don’t know me, which is most of you,” he deadpanned, “I grew up on the frontline of the American dream.” He spoke of his hardworking immigrant Irish parents and his idyllic Indiana childhood. Pence’s speech was as close as Trump’s convention has come to conventionally Republican. He hit all the marks: opposition to Hillary Clinton, the importance of picking conservative justices and strong support for law and order both at home and abroad. He avoided areas where he has differed with Trump such as trade, and even managed to tamp down controversial calls of “Lock her up!” from the audience. And he was effusive in his praise for the man who “has brought millions of new voters into the Republican Party,” he said. “As we say back home, you can’t fake good kids, how about his amazing children, aren’t they something?” Quicken Loans Arena, full for the first time since the convention began, chanted: “I like Mike!” Trump came out and the two embraced before Pence’s family joined him on stage, the evening ending on a happier note. As with Melania Trump’s speech Monday, Pence’s competent performance was overshadowed on cable news by the drama of the night. But for those who watched, it was a speech that was reassuring in all the ways it was not like the rest of the convention that surrounded it. Pence may not have healed the Republican rift Wednesday night, but for a while there, he successfully papered it over. ## Transcript I accept your nomination to run and serve as vice president of the United States of America. With this united party, he's got backup, and on November 8th, I know we will elect Donald Trump to be the 45th president of the United States of America. This election comes down to just two names on the ballot, so let's resolve Here and now that Hillary Clinton will never become President of the United States of America. [ APPLAUSE ] And where else would an independent spirit like his find a following than in the land of the free and the home of the brave? [ APPLAUSE ] And my fellow Republicans When Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America the change will be huge. [ APPLAUSE ] Every American should know that while we're filling the presidency for the next four years, this election will define the Supreme Court for the next 40. [ APPLAUSE ] And it was Hillary Clinton who left Americans in harm's way in Benghazi. And after four Americans fell, said, what difference, at this point, does it make? [ APPLAUSE ] And if the world knows nothing else, it will know this. America stands with Israel. [ APPLAUSE ] We are as we have always been one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This is. Another time for choosing. We have but one choice and that man is ready. This team is ready. Our party is ready and when we elect Donald Trump the forty- fifth President of the United States, together we will make America great... Again. [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4416519/republican-convention-mike-pence-rift/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4416519/republican-convention-mike-pence-rift/"},"headline":"How Mike Pence Tried to Heal the Republican Rift","datePublished":"2016-07-21T06:25:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-06T09:42:42.838Z","description":"Indiana Gov. 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