Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Mike Pence

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Mike Pence.

Michael Richard Pence is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th Vice President of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A Republican, he was the 50th Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he served as a U.S. Representative for Indiana from 2001 to 2013.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1990: Ran Television Advertisement

During the 1990 campaign, Pence ran a television advertisement that was considered controversial.

1999: City of Gary's Lawsuit Against Gun Manufacturers

In 1999, the City of Gary filed a lawsuit against gun manufacturers and retailers that allegedly made illegal sales of handguns, but the lawsuit was retroactively terminated due to Senate Bill 98 that Pence signed into law in May 2015.

2002: Dinner Alone Policy

During an interview in 2002, Pence stated that he would not have dinner alone with a woman other than his wife.

2002: Belief in Intelligent Design

In 2002, Pence stated on the House of Representatives floor that he believes that only the theory of intelligent design provides a rational explanation for the known universe.

2009: Belief in Creation

In 2009, when asked if he believed in evolution, Pence stated that he believes that God created the heavens and the earth.

June 12, 2013: Legislature Overrides Veto on Local Tax Bill

On June 12, 2013, the Indiana Legislature overrode Governor Pence's veto of a bill retroactively authorizing a local tax, known as the Jackson–Pulaski tax fix. The bill addressed a county income tax used to fund jail facilities, where a legally required tax reduction had not been implemented. Republican legislators largely voted against Pence, while most Democrats supported his veto.

June 2013: Criticism for Deleting Facebook Comments

In June 2013, Mike Pence faced criticism for deleting comments posted by others on his official government Facebook page, which led to an apology.

2013: Defunding of Planned Parenthood

In 2013, the Republican-controlled legislature and Pence defunded Planned Parenthood, resulting in Scott County being without an HIV testing center since 2013.

December 2014: HIV Outbreak in Southern Indiana

Beginning in December 2014, Southern Indiana experienced an HIV outbreak.

2014: Call for Repeal of Common Core Standards

In 2014, Pence opposed the Common Core State Standards Initiative and called for its repeal in his State of the State address. The Indiana General Assembly subsequently passed a bill to repeal the standards, making Indiana the first state to do so.

2014: Bill Signed Allowing Firearms in Vehicles on School Property

In 2014, Pence signed a bill allowing firearms to be kept in vehicles on school property, despite opposition from Indiana school organizations.

January 26, 2015: Plans for State-Run News Service "JustIN"

On January 26, 2015, reports surfaced about Mike Pence's plan to launch "JustIN", a state-run, taxpayer-funded news service for Indiana. This service aimed to provide breaking news and pro-administration content to smaller newspapers, with potential implications for Pence's public image.

March 2015: Approval of Needle Exchanges

In March 2015, well after the HIV outbreak began, Pence allowed at least five counties to open needle exchanges, but did not lift the state ban on funding for such programs.

March 26, 2015: Signing of Indiana Senate Bill 101 (RFRA)

On March 26, 2015, Mike Pence signed Indiana Senate Bill 101, known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), into law. This action was lauded by religious conservatives but drew criticism from those who believed it could enable discrimination against LGBT individuals. Organizations like the NCAA and businesses such as Apple and Salesforce voiced opposition, with Angie's List cancelling a planned expansion due to concerns over the law. Thousands protested the policy, and some Republican figures also criticized it.

March 31, 2015: Defense of RFRA in Wall Street Journal Op-Ed

On March 31, 2015, Mike Pence defended the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, asserting it did not permit discrimination and that he would veto any bill legalizing discrimination. He stated he would not support businesses that refused to serve gay couples.

April 2, 2015: Revision of RFRA Legislation

On April 2, 2015, following backlash against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Mike Pence signed legislation revising the law to include protections against potential discrimination. This action followed his previous defense of the initial law and aimed to address concerns raised about its potential impact on LGBT individuals.

May 2015: Law Limiting Lawsuits Against Gun Manufacturers Signed

In May 2015, Pence signed Senate Bill 98 into law, limiting lawsuits against gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers, and retroactively terminating the City of Gary's lawsuit against gun manufacturers.

May 2015: Legislation Signed to Limit Superintendent's Authority

In May 2015, Pence signed a bill stripping Superintendent Glenda Ritz of much of her authority over standardized testing and other education issues, reconstituting the State Board of Education with Pence appointees.

2015: Support for Coal Industry and Opposition to EPA

In 2015, Pence voiced strong support for the coal industry, declaring Indiana a "pro-coal state." He also sent a letter to President Obama denouncing the EPA's Clean Power Plan and announced Indiana would refuse to comply, joining a lawsuit to invalidate the plan.

February 2016: Federal Judge Ruling on Syrian Refugee Resettlement

In February 2016, a federal judge ruled that Mike Pence's order to cut off federal funds to a non-profit refugee resettlement agency was unconstitutional. This ruling followed Pence's attempt to prevent Syrian refugees from being resettled in Indiana.

August 2016: $8.7 million in incentives paid to companies that sent jobs abroad

By August 2016, Pence's Indiana Economic Development Corporation had paid out $8.7 million in incentives to companies that sent jobs abroad.

October 7, 2016: Response to Trump's Lewd Comments

On October 7, 2016, after the surfacing of lewd comments made by Donald Trump in 2005, Mike Pence stated that he did not condone the remarks but would stand by Trump. He also declined to appear at a joint campaign event with Paul Ryan.

2016: Compromised AOL Email Account

In 2016, Mike Pence's personal AOL email account, which he used for official business as governor, was compromised by hackers. This led to fraudulent emails being sent in an attempt to obtain money from his contacts. The use of a personal email account for state business raised concerns, particularly in light of Pence's criticism of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

2016: Defiance of Clean Power Plan

In 2016, Pence stated that Indiana would continue to defy the EPA's Clean Power Plan, even if legal challenges failed, and would not develop its own plan to reduce emissions.

March 2017: Release and Withholding of Pence's Emails

In March 2017, after Mike Pence became vice president, the State of Indiana released 29 emails to media outlets from his personal AOL account. However, an undisclosed number of emails were withheld, citing exemptions from public disclosure. This sparked further discussion and debate regarding his use of a personal email account while in office.

October 8, 2017: Pence Walks Out of NFL Game After Anthem Protest

On October 8, 2017, Mike Pence walked out of an Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL game after 49ers players knelt during the national anthem. He stated this was out of respect for soldiers, the flag, and the anthem, sparking criticism and accusations of a publicity stunt. The cost of his travel on Air Force Two to the game on October 8, 2017, was estimated at $242,500.

2017: Application to Renew Healthy Indiana Plan

In early 2017, Indiana submitted an application to renew Healthy Indiana, but National Public Radio/Side Effects Public Media claimed the application used misleading and inaccurate information.

April 2018: HB 1337 Abortion Bill Ruled Unconstitutional

In April 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled H.B. 1337, an Indiana abortion bill signed into law by Mike Pence in March 2016, as unconstitutional. This bill had banned abortions based on the fetus's race, gender, or abnormality and required fetal remains to be buried or cremated.

October 2018: Pence's Speech on China at the Hudson Institute

In October 2018, Mike Pence delivered a speech at the Hudson Institute, accusing China of predatory economic practices, military aggression, election meddling, surveillance, and debt-trap diplomacy, which was described as signaling a new Cold War.

September 1, 2019: Pence Meets with Zelensky in Poland Amid Aid Delay

On September 1, 2019, Mike Pence met with Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, in Poland during a delay in U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Pence stated that he raised issues of Ukrainian corruption with Zelensky.

September 2019: Pence's Stay at Trump's Resort in Doonbeg During Official Ireland Visit

In September 2019, while attending official meetings in Dublin, Ireland with the Irish prime minister, Mike Pence stayed at President Trump's resort in Doonbeg, which is 180 miles (290 km) away, incurring significant transportation costs.

January 2020: Pence Defends Trump's Decision to Assassinate Soleimani

In January 2020, Mike Pence defended President Trump's decision to assassinate Qasem Soleimani, promoting conspiracy theories linking al-Qaeda to Iran and claiming Soleimani was responsible for killing thousands of Americans, assertions that drew criticism and were deemed unsubstantiated by experts.

April 2020: Pence Exempts Himself from Mayo Clinic Mask Policy

In April 2020, Mike Pence visited the Mayo Clinic and did not wear a face mask, despite the hospital's policy, stating he needed to look staff "in the eye". This action led to criticism for promoting irresponsible public health messaging.

June 2020: Pence Makes Misleading Claims About Coronavirus Pandemic

In late June 2020, Mike Pence gave an optimistic press briefing where he made several misleading and false claims about the state of the coronavirus pandemic, including arguing that surges in cases were the result of increased testing and falsely claiming that fatalities were declining all across the country.

November 7, 2020: Biden and Harris declared winners of the 2020 election

On November 7, 2020, major news networks declared Biden and Harris the winners of the election, leading to Trump's refusal to concede and insistence that he had won.

December 2020: Lawsuit filed against Pence to overturn election results

In December 2020, Republican congressman Louie Gohmert and others filed a federal lawsuit against Pence, seeking to grant him the power to reject state-certified presidential electors and overturn Biden's victory. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed due to lack of standing.

2020: Pence Implies Wrongful Death of Officer During Riots

During the 2020 Republican convention, Mike Pence inaccurately implied that a federal security officer was killed by rioters, when in fact the perpetrator was linked to the far-right Boogaloo movement.

2020: Trump Appoints Pence to Head Coronavirus Response

In 2020, President Trump appointed Pence to lead the country's coronavirus response, citing his experience with HIV in Indiana, while omitting Pence's delayed response to the HIV outbreak and his opposition to needle exchange programs.

2020: Trump's rally and the storming of the Capitol

In 2020, on January 6, Trump held a rally urging listeners to go to the Capitol and expressed hope that Pence would "do the right thing", leading to many listeners marching to the Capitol and storming it.

January 6, 2021: Oversaw certification of Biden and Harris as election winners

Despite pressure from Trump to overturn the election results and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Pence oversaw the certification of Biden and Harris as the winners of the election.

January 2021: Trump pressures Pence to overturn the election

In January 2021, Trump pressured Pence to overturn the election during the congressional joint session to count electoral votes. Pence maintained that the Constitution did not grant him such power.

January 2023: Classified documents found at Pence's home

In January 2023, following the discovery of classified documents at President Biden's home, Pence asked his lawyer to search his home, leading to the discovery of classified documents which were turned over to the FBI. Pence took responsibility for the documents.

February 9, 2023: Pence subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith

On February 9, 2023, Pence was reported to have been subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith regarding the attack on the Capitol.

2023: Pence criticizes Trump's actions on January 6, 2021

In 2023, Pence criticized former President Donald Trump, especially regarding the events that took place on January 6, 2021, stating that Trump was wrong to suggest that Pence had a right to overturn the election results.

2024: Pence condemns GOP stance on abortion

In 2024, ahead of the RNC, Pence released a statement condemning the new GOP stance on abortion, arguing that it strips away "historic pro-life principles".