Mike Pence Promises to Defend Christians in the Middle East
The vice president announced that the administration will shift aid from the United Nations to the U.S. Agency for International Development. He’ll also visit the region in late December.
Vice President Mike Pence has recently been on a circuit of conservative Christian conferences discussing religious persecution in the Middle East. He addressed Christians United for Israel in July, spoke at Franklin Graham’s conference on international religious freedom in May, and regularly incorporates the issue into his public statements.
On Wednesday, he continued this tour with a speech at the In Defense of Christians conference, where he announced that he will be visiting persecuted minorities in the Middle East in December. He also said the Trump administration will redirect aid money formerly granted, this announcement suggests it will continue to prioritize religious issues in its foreign-policy agenda—at least rhetorically.
