Former Vice President, and Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Pence was heckled by a man claiming that the staunchly anti-LGBTQ+ politician was secretly gay.
The incident occurred during the registrations for the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary vote On October 13, as Pence spoke to reporters.
The heckler’s comments were captured on video and shared on social media, highlighting the interruption of Pence’s registration event. The individual exclaimed, “Mike Pence, are you going to tell them? You promised today was our coming out day… Mike Pence and I are gay.”
Pence, seeking the Republican nomination, continued his speech amidst the disruption, emphasising his qualifications and conservative values. He said, “We’re running because we believe, with all humility, that I am the most qualified, most experienced, most tested conservative seeking the Republican nomination.”
A member of Pence’s team, standing beside him, intervened to address the heckler and apologised to the audience for the interruption. After allowing the heckler to finish speaking, the individual was escorted out of the room.
Pence faces intense competition in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, with former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as top contenders. Other candidates include former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Pence, like Trump, has voiced support for a nationwide ban on gender-affirming healthcare and expressed his intention to reinstate Trump’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military.
