FLETCHER, North Carolina — Passionate crowds overflowed from the near 400 packed inside to approximately 100 more outside of a campaign rally with Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence in Fletcher, North Carolina.

“Donald Trump won that debate,” Pence declared not long after taking the stage in Fletcher. “Donald Trump’s vision won that debate and Donald Trump’s ideas and policies to make America great again are gonna win all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue come November the 8th.”

RSVPs for Monday’s Pence events soared Sunday night. It was the same night that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in their second, and very contentious, debate. It was a town hall-style format.

Pence was introduced in Fletcher by Congressman Mark Meadows who enthusiastically promoted the Indiana governor on the Trump-Pence ticket, to those gathered. Meadows said Pence, a former congressman, would not change when he returns to Washington.

“I joined this campaign in a heartbeat,” Pence said, lauding praise on his running mate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. After recognizing the first responders who “lead into the fight” and have been coming to the aid of people caught in Hurricane Matthew, he took a moment to address the Trump comments controversy.

Ahead of the debate he had expressed hope that America would see what is in Trump’s heart during the debate. On Monday Pence said that Trump did indeed show “the American people what is in his heart.” Pence said that as a Christian he believes in forgiveness and was thankful that Trump apologized and “I am called to forgive as I am forgiven.”

Pence moved on to say, “The stakes in the election go far beyond what the media is focused on, on any given day. It really has to do with the things that, the things that reach your kitchen table.”

At one point he recounted for the crowd, what he called an “avalanche of scandals and controversies and conflicts of interests flowing just out of the recent Clinton years in public service.”

He spoke of the more than 7 in 10 Americans that believe the country is headed in the wrong direction “at the very moment that America’s crying out for change.” He said that in such a year, the “other party,” Democratic Party, chose the candidate, Clinton, “who literally personifies the failed establishment in Washington, D.C.”

Pence strongly urged the cheerful crowd to “work your hearts out the next 28 days,” that when they tell a good friend it’s far more effective than campaign ads and asked them to make sure that Donald Trump is elected the next President of the United States.

“28 days everybody, it’s going to go by in a blink,” he said.

“I’m encouraged by your enthusiasm,” Pence closed as he thanked them for coming out for the rally.

Just hours earlier in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pence addressed nearly 300 passionate Trump-Pence supporters in a town-hall style event.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana