Former Vice President Mike Pence is on a mission to assert himself as a leader of the Republican party’s culture war, and his recent visits to Minnesota, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa are further evidence of this.
At a recent rally in Minnesota, Pence declared that parents’ rights are being “trampled” and that the state’s education system is failing to respect their values.
In Iowa, Pence was joined by Governor Asa Hutchinson to discuss the state’s education system and the need for greater parental involvement.
The Vice President’s visit to Cedar Rapids was focused on the Linn-Mar Community School District’s transgender policy. Pence labeled the policy “crazy” and called for its repeal. He argued that the policy is an affront to parental rights and religious freedoms.
Pence’s visits to the Midwest come as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is making his own moves to claim the culture war lane. DeSantis has proposed legislation that would limit transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports and has pushed for the removal of Critical Race Theory from the state’s curriculum.
It is clear that Pence is determined to make his mark in the Republican party’s culture war, and his visits to the Midwest appear to be part of a larger strategy.