Watch: Mike Pence Helps Collapsed Man Mid-Speech, Continues on with Unflappable Poise
Vice President Mike Pence spoke to members of the Coast Guard based in Portsmouth, Virginia, about duty and the commitment of those who serve the nation to put others ahead of themselves.
Then he showed he could walk the walk himself.
“Public service is a calling. Public safety is a calling. It’s a calling to a mission to consider others as more important than yourself, to count your lives as less important than the lives of your countrymen,” Pence was saying when he suddenly darted out of the frame of view.
A Coast Guard member who was at the front of the room where Pence was speaking had apparently started to faint.
Pence rushed to the Coast Guard member, as did others from the Coast Guard, and helped her out of the room.
Once she was safely in the hands of others, Pence returned to the podium and resumed his remarks.
Pence addressed about 100 Coast Guardsmen and other Department of Homeland Security officials Tuesday at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
“The nation, frankly, saw your character in high relief in recent weeks when the president took a strong stand for border security during the government shutdown that lasted some 35 days,” Pence said, noting that in that time, Coast Guard members were not paid.
“Let me say to each and every one of you: the president and I couldn’t be more grateful or couldn’t be more proud of all of our federal employees and their families who rose to the challenge. … You stood tall, you stood your watch, you did not relent and you have our thanks for your commitment to your mission and your duty.
“Thank you for standing your post,” he added.
During his time at Coast Guard Portsmouth, Pence toured the Coast Guard cutter Bear, which is frequently used to interdict drug shipments coming from Latin America.
Honored to speak w/ @USCG & @DHSgov at USCG Base Portsmouth who are working every day to protect American families & stop the flow of drugs from criminal syndicates into our Nation. Listen live: https://t.co/5q8Z1tQrob
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 6, 2019
Pence drew a line between what the Coast Guard was doing at sea and what President Donald Trump is seeking to accomplish with a barrier at the Southern Border, WYDaily reported.
“A porous border along the United States gives drug traffickers and criminal cartels too many opportunities,” he said. “It’s a security crisis. Last year alone, some 10,000 individuals with prior criminal convictions were apprehended attempting to come into the United States.”
Pence said the plan outlined in Trump’s State of the Union address can handle the multi-faceted crisis America faces.
“It’s a plan that includes humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement personnel, drug detection technology at our ports of entry, closing loopholes that enable a child smuggling.”
During his tour, Pence assured those who serve that he and Trump will be there to support them.
“President Donald Trump and I are going to stand and fight to get you what you need to accomplish your mission and keep the American people safe,” said Pence, according to WIBC.
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