The Latest: Pence says faith guides him on forgiveness
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on Mike Pence in the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT):
2:20 p.m.
Mike Pence says faith instructs him on the importance of forgiveness, suggesting Donald Trump was a "big man" for admitting he was wrong to make vulgar remarks about women.
Pence said Monday he doesn't condone the remarks Trump made in 2005, which were revealed last week.
But the Republican vice presidential candidate and Indiana governor added that everyone falls short of the "glory of God."
Pence's remarks at a town hall meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, were among the first he has made publicly since the recording of Trump emerged on Friday.
Pence cancelled his public events in the wake of the recording and opted against attending the debate Sunday night between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
10:50 a.m.
Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence is saying a moderator in Sunday's debate "mischaracterized" his position on the U.S. role in Syria's war, but the record shows otherwise.
Trump was asked Sunday about Pence's statement in the vice presidential debate that the U.S. should be prepared to strike military targets of Syrian President Bashar Assad to intervene in the country's humanitarian crisis.
Trump said that he and Pence hadn't spoken about that, and he disagreed with his running mate.
Pence said Monday on Fox News that moderator Martha Raddatz mischaracterized his position. But Raddatz had accurately quoted him saying: "Provocations by Russia need to be met with American strength and...the United States of America should be prepared to use military force to strike the military targets of the Assad regime."
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8:55 a.m.
Mike Pence is standing by Donald Trump, saying he never considered leaving the Trump ticket.
Following the latest presidential debate, Pence said Monday that he believes Trump is sorry for the crude and predatory language about women captured in a 2005 video that became public last week.
Pence told Fox News that Trump "stepped up" during the debate: "He showed humility. He showed strength. He expressed genuine contrition for the words he had used" in the video.
He later told CNN that he never considered dropping off Trump's ticket. He said: "It's the greatest honor of my life."
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6:50 a.m.
Mike Pence's visit to North Carolina begins a full week of travel by major-party presidential ticket candidates to the battleground state, as well as by President Barack Obama.
The Republican vice presidential nominee was slated to hold a town hall meeting Monday afternoon in downtown Charlotte, followed by an evening rally in Fletcher, just outside Asheville.
On Tuesday evening Obama planned to appear at an outdoor amphitheater in Greensboro to back Hillary Clinton's election. Earlier the president will participate in a forum at North Carolina A&T State University about race and sports that will air later Tuesday on ESPN.
Clinton running mate Tim Kaine will join a state Democratic Party rally Wednesday at Davidson College. And Donald Trump is holding a rally Friday evening at an outdoor Charlotte concert venue.