Trump reportedly joked that Mike Pence wants to 'hang' all gays

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 16 October 2017

President Trump considers Vice President Mike Pence "one of his best decisions," pollster Tony Fabrizio told The New Yorker, but a look behind the scenes raises questions about how the strange bedfellows really get along. Trump in fact came so close to not picking Pence as a running mate that he outright asked New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie if he was "ready to do this with me." Trump's former campaign manager, Stephen Bannon, privately considered Pence "the price we pay" and "an unfortunate necessity." And when pressed by reporter Jane Mayer about whether he shared "Pence's deeply conservative social views," Trump "became uncharacteristically silent."

People close to the Trump campaign and administration added that the president is not so hesitant to express his opinion of Pence's values in private, reportedly even resorting to cruel and disturbing mockery:

A staff member from Trump's campaign recalls him mocking Pence's religiosity. He said that, when people met with Trump after stopping by Pence's office, Trump would ask them, "Did Mike make you pray?" Two sources also recalled Trump needling Pence about his views on abortion and homosexuality. During a meeting with a legal scholar, Trump belittled Pence's determination to overturn Roe v. Wade. The legal scholar had said that, if the Supreme Court did so, many states would likely legalize abortion on their own. "You see?" Trump asked Pence. "You've wasted all this time and energy on it, and it's not going to end abortion anyway." When the conversation turned to gay rights, Trump motioned toward Pence and joked, "Don't ask that guy — he wants to hang them all!" [The New Yorker]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.