"Thirty of fifty states, more counties won than since Ronald Reagan was a Republican candidate,” Mike Pence said. | Getty Pence talks up Trump having biggest mandate since Reagan

Despite losing the popular vote, Donald Trump has the largest mandate of a Republican president since Ronald Reagan, according to his vice president-elect.

“We truly do believe our president-elect has secured a mandate for leadership,” Mike Pence said Tuesday evening during a Heritage Foundation event at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.


The event honored the conservative think tank’s top donors — those who give at least $1,000 annually. GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina was in attendance, receiving recognition from the vice president-elect.

Trump won Nov. 8, but Hillary Clinton has continued to build her lead in the popular vote, as states continue to count absentee and other ballots. Clinton’s edge is now over 2.5 million votes.

Pence focused instead on the numbers of states and counties won by Trump.

“Thirty of fifty states, more counties won than since Ronald Reagan was a Republican candidate,” said Pence. “This is a historic victory.”

Recent attempts by hard-core Clinton loyalists to overturn the Electoral College result have gotten under Trump’s skin. The president-elect claimed in a tweet on Nov. 27 that he “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” A lawsuit filed by two Democratic electors to free Electoral College members from voting obligations is just the latest move in a long-shot bid to deny Trump the Oval Office.

Pence was seen during the campaign as a level-headed influence whose primary asset was as an emissary to the GOP establishment. Washington’s conservative elite was out in full force at the Heritage Foundation event, giving Pence and his wife a standing ovation when they walked on stage.

“There is something really sweet about standing in a Trump hotel just a few blocks from the White House,” said Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, introducing Pence. “I’m trying not to be too giddy tonight.”

Pence delivered the night’s keynote address in the presidential ballroom. Attendees sat beneath multitiered chandeliers that hung from a stark white ceiling. A series of mirrors arched with gold leaf lined the walls, reflecting the visages of Washington’s conservative elite.

The Heritage Foundation has emerged as a potent influence on the transition effort, reflected by the night’s location and speakers list. Pence’s longstanding relationship with the think tank goes back to his time as a congressman.

“I think we all know when this campaign turned,” said DeMint. “It was when Donald Trump said Mike Pence was going to be his vice president.”

During his address, Pence pledged to work with the think tank in overturning regulations crafted by the Obama administration. “We’re going to be working closely with Heritage Foundation,” the Indiana governor said. “It’s long, long been talking about regulatory reform.”

Pence promised that a Trump administration would repeal Obamacare and cut taxes for working families, small businesses and farms “before this spring.”

He also offered his word that military spending would increase.

“The average age of aircraft in our military is older than my son,” said Pence. “That’s about to change.”

