Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence pledged Wednesday that he and Donald Trump would "uphold the Constitution of the United States" in protecting religious liberties.
"The First Amendment is very clear: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'" the Indiana governor said on "Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk" program in an exclusive interview.
"We live in a diverse country, with people with different viewpoints and different lifestyles," Pence added. "I don't believe in discrimination or mistreatment of anyone.
"I believe we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
"But neither do I think should anyone never fear persecution because of their deeply held religious beliefs," he said. "When those two things come into conflict, that's what we have the courts for.
"The courts sort out those issues and have done so throughout the history of this nation.
"Donald Trump and I truly believe that ensuring that we have people appointed to the Supreme Court who will uphold the Constitution and respect the God-given liberties that are enshrined there are very much on the ballot," he said.
In a wide-ranging interview, Pence also told Dobson that at Trump-Pence White House would:
- Appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges along the lines of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February — "people who will strictly construe the Constitution of the United States."
- "Err on the side of freedom," in protecting religious liberties, including when it comes to contraceptive and related requirements of Obamacare. "We're going to err on the side of protecting the liberties of our people."
- Push to have such issues and transgender bathrooms decided at the state level. "Washington has no business intruding on the operations of our local schools."
- Stand by the "common-sense principle that the government that governs least governs best."
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