Mike Pence wants to talk less about institutional racism, more about supporting police officers

In the wake of police-involved shootings in Tulsa and Charlotte, Gov. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said Thursday he believes that instead of focusing on "institutional racism and institutional bias," the country should instead remember that "police officers are human beings" and "mistakes are made."

While at a pastors' roundtable at Radiant Church in Colorado Springs, Donald Trump's running mate remarked that officers are "the best of us," and "in difficult and life-threatening situations, mistakes are made and people have to be held to strict account, but we both believe that it's important that we have a president who, as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, stands behind the men and women who serve in law enforcement." There's been too much chatter about "institutional racism and institutional bias," he added, and "we ought to set aside this talk" because it's the "rhetoric of division."

At a town hall later, Pence continued down this path while taking a swipe at Hillary Clinton, who he said "once again refers to what she calls the institutional racism in law enforcement. We heard this week again of the 'systemic racism' in law enforcement in this country." Police "are not a force for racism in America, they are a force for good," he said. "They stand for our families, they protect our homes, and they deserve our support and respect."

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