Pence links Trump, Reagan, ‘This is our rendezvous with destiny’

Speaking to a Club for Growth dinner in West Palm Beach, Fla., the vice president said to laughter and applause, “And, folks, The Washington Post actually ran a headline this week saying, they quote, ‘historic contraction of the federal workforce.’ They meant it as a warning, we took it as a compliment.”

He described the president’s budget vision as a businessman’s “simple” plan to cut costs, reward taxpayers and rebuild the military.

“We’re going to end the waste, the fraud, the abuse in D.C and make sure that the American taxpayer gets the best bang for their buck. I got to tell you this businessman who has become president of the United States believes in sharpened pencils. And he’s been sharpening his pencils ever since the morning after Election Day,” said Pence.

Much of his address focused on repealing Obamacare, but he also painted a larger portrait of where he saw Trump leading the nation, and he even threw in a touch of vintage Reagan in his description.

“The reason that we’re here with a pro-growth president and a pro-growth Congress on the cusp of repealing the failed policies of Obamacare is because, on the cusp of transformational tax reform, on the cusp of a whole range of reforms that will enliven this country’s economy and open doors of opportunities for millions of Americans is that year after year, all of you in this room and conservatives around America never gave up. And I’m just here to say thanks, and to tell you to press on,” he said in his conclusion.

He added:

“My friends, this is our moment. Now is the time. This is our rendezvous with destiny. And I know we’ll meet the challenge. It will come together. We’ll give all of our energy, our enthusiasm, our courage, and our conviction, our passion, and our prayers. And in that, I’m confident — I’m confident we’ll make the most of the opportunity before us.”

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]