Getty Pence makes plea for unity ahead of Trump’s inauguration

Vice President-elect Mike Pence made a plea for unity to America’s mayors Tuesday, pledging that the Trump administration will be a partner to American cities in the years ahead.

“Inaugurations in a very real sense ought to be a time where we as Americans are coming together, coming together as a nation,” Pence said, speaking on the first day of the United States Conference of Mayors winter meeting at the Capitol Hilton in Washington. He extended a “personal invitation” on behalf of the president-elect to stay in D.C. through Friday to attend the inauguration.


“We’re all working for the people, after all. The president-elect and I are determined to forge strong partnerships between the federal government and the cities of this country. Make no mistake about it, we both believe that you have some of the most important jobs in public service,” Pence said.

“My commitment to you and the president-elect’s commitment to you is that this administration is going to be a friend to America’s mayors. We may not agree on everything,” he said. “But we all agree that the success of our country depends on the success of our cities and more importantly, the success of every American wherever they call home.”

Some mayors, especially from the nation’s biggest cities, have positioned themselves as foils to Trump, pledging resistance to policies that some fear could target undocumented immigrants and minorities. Trump himself has met with the mayors of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, as well as with the U.S. Conference of Mayors leadership. Pence also met with the conference leadership, and was greeted with a standing ovation as he took the stage.

“The moment we mentioned 300 mayors would be here in our nation’s capital for this meeting he said, ‘I will be there,’” said Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City mayor and president of the conference of mayors. He said he believes it is the first time a vice president-elect has attended the winter meeting prior to the inauguration.

Pence’s call for unity came with a promise that the administration’s work with cities would be apolitical — “no politics, just results,” Pence said.

There remains significant resistance to Trump and his policies in America’s urban centers, with large marches planned in cities around the country on Saturday to register opposition to the new president.

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton ran up large margins against Trump in the country’s largest metro areas, but her struggles with white working class voters in rural areas, particularly in the industrial midwest, paved the way for Trump’s win.

Still, there is one area where urban leaders are looking to Trump with optimism, and Pence made sure to note it in his address.

Pence said he spoke with Trump before attending the meeting, and that the president-elect sent along a message for the mayors: “He said, ‘tell ‘em we’re going to a do an infrastructure bill and it’s going to be big.’”

The room burst into applause.