Donald Trump on Thursday chose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate — selecting a veteran Beltway Tea Party conservative widely respected by Republicans in Congress.

Trump offered Pence the job and Pence accepted, ABC News reported, confirming multiple media reports throughout the day that Pence, an articulate spokesman for conservative principles, would get the nod.

The official announcement, planned for Friday in New York, was postponed after scores were killed in a truck terror attack in Nice, France during a Bastille Day celebration.

Pence, a former six-term congressman is seen as the anti-Trump — a staunchly conservative evangelical Christian known for his polite manners and soft-spoken approach to politics who has been married to the same woman for 31 years.

Many top GOPers said they’d be happy with a Trump-Pence ticket. “He’s a great choice. A good move by Donald Trump. We look forward to enthusiastically supporting the ticket,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) agreed, saying he had hoped Trump would pick a “good movement conservative.”

“Clearly Mike is one of those,” he said.

Pence, a former radio talk-show host, was popular among conservatives during his time in the House.

“Pence is a safe, good, reliable conservative,” said former Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella.

He said Pence is not a partisan and will be able to talk to Democrats as well as Republicans in Congress. “Pence is the antithesis of Trump,” Fossella said.

Pence famously calls himself a “Christian, conservative and Republican in that order” — but many of his views are right in line with Trump’s.

The 57-year-old governor is a hard-liner on immigration, a supporter of gun rights and favors an aggressive military buildup. But the Hoosier State native is also an ardent free trader — putting him at odds with the presumptive GOP nominee, who has vowed to trash trade deals such as NAFTA.

“Trade means jobs, but trade also means security. The time has come for all of us to urge the swift adoption of the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Pence tweeted in September 2014.

And last December, he took issue with the Trump proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, calling it “offensive and unconstitutional.”

Pence opposes same-sex marriage and even same-sex unions — while Trump is a supporter of LGBT rights.

Pence has had a rocky term as governor and took a beating on the national stage when he signed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which pushed back against LGBT rights.

He also cut taxes to boost the state’s economy, supported state funding for pre-K education and expanded school choice. But he had only a 40 percent approval rating in Indiana, according to a recent poll.

On the personal side, Pence’s tastes are as simple as Trump’s are lavish. His favorite foods are bacon, Moose Tracks ice cream and a homemade treat called Apple Smiles.

An animal lover, he has a beagle named Maverick and cats named Oreo and Pickle. He and wife Karen have three grown children. He calls the Bible his favorite book, and “The Wizard of Oz” is his favorite movie.

He grew up in Columbus, Ind., one of six children of Nancy and gas-station owner Edward Pence Jr.



Additional reporting by Marisa Schultz and Carl Campanile