COLUMBUS, Ohio — Vice President Mike Pence stood before hundreds of people at Savko & Sons in Columbus Monday and called on the Biden-Harris campaign to speak up on whether they would support adding justices to the Supreme Court.
“It would be nothing less than the biggest power grab in American history,” Pence said.
The topic follows the controversy around Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Many have called attention to her Catholic faith, saying it could put certain rights at risk. During Barrett’s hearings this week, Sen. Kamala Harris was vocal on what she believed was at stake if Barrett were placed on the Supreme Court.
“Our voting rights are at stake,” Harris said. “Workers’ rights are at stake. Consumers’ rights are at stake. The right to safe and legal abortion is at stake. And holding corporations accountable is at stake. And, again, there is so much more.”
At the rally, Pence said he believes religion should stay out of the conversation.
“These attacks on religious faith must stop and they must stop right now,” Pence said.
Pence also spoke to Ohio’s economy, saying that the administration helped revive American jobs. His statements follow a claim President Donald Trump made during the first presidential debate in Cleveland, saying 2019 was Ohio’s best year for jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio had it’s worst year of unemployment since the Great Recession.
The crowd chanted in favor of the administration, while quite a few were escorted out of the event.
One group of volunteers from the Trump campaign’s Columbus office brought a massive Trump-Pence sign, which they say is a get-well card for the president. One supporter, Tom Large, who goes by “Dr. T,” says once the public learned of the president’s coronavirus diagnosis, volunteers sprung into action.
They want to gather as many signatures as they can before shipping it off to the White House.
“I’m happy because everybody who has signed it has signed it and is sending their love and get well to our greatest president of certainly my lifetime,” said Dr. T.
As for COVID-19 concerns, each person attending the event had to sign a waiver saying the administration is not responsible if they contract the virus. A majority of the crowd didn’t wear masks, and there was very little social distancing.
Monday marked a big day in Ohio for both campaigns. While Pence rallied in Columbus, Joe Biden made visits to Toledo and Cincinnati. The race in the Buckeye State remains tight; Biden holds less than a one-point lead over Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight.
