He focused on his Christian and family values, praising Gov. Kim Reynolds for her efforts to ban abortion in Iowa.
"We save the babies, we'll save America," he said. "While some in our party, some in this contest, in the primary, are gonna tell you that's only a state issue now. To me, it's an American issue. And as president of the United States, I promise you, I will support efforts and states around the country, like Iowa just courageously provided, to protect the unborn."
He also referred to Linn-Mar schools in Iowa, and their inclusive bathroom policy for transgender students.
"We're in federal court today, standing by the parents in the Linn-Mar community school system, and we're going to turn it back, just like these legislators in Iowa did as well. We're going to defend parents' rights and we're going to protect our kids from radical gender ideology in our schools."
After lawsuits from parents, the school district eventually suspended the policy to comply with a state law.
Pence says he's proud of the Trump administration's accomplishments. He briefly alluded to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
"I'm incredibly proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration. In four short years, we rebuilt our military, we revived our economy, we secured our border, we appointed conservatives to our courts at every level," he said. "I was always loyal to President Donald Trump, until a fateful day, when my oath to the constitution of the United States required me to do otherwise.”
He also criticized President Biden's economic and foreign policies, specifically the withdrawal from Afghanistan and relations with China and Russia.
“Joe Biden has unleashed the worst inflation in 40 years, their open borders policies have seen millions of people come across the border and fentanyl flowing into our communities. Their war on energy has caused gasoline prices to shoot through the roof."
Referring to President Biden’s response to a Chinese spy balloon found earlier this year, Pence said, “I wouldn’t have sent the secretary of state, I would’ve sent an aircraft carrier.”
If elected, he says he would fully fund police and the military, close off the southern border, and in his words, "clean out" the justice department.
Pence also spoke at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center and the Iowa State Fair. He will take part in the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23.
