You Should Be Scared Of Mike Pence And Here's Why

Update: On Friday via one simple tweet, Donald Trump confirmed Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is his vice presidential running mate.

Earlier: On Thursday, reports suggested that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would choose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate in the 2016 Presidential race. And while Pence is a candidate that a lot of Republicans can get behind — someone who might be able to unify the party after all — there are a number of reasons why Pence is bad for progress and social justice. The fact that the Republican party is rallying behind the Indiana governor as the potential VP pick should have you scared of Pence, and here's why.

In 2015, Pence voted in favor of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would essentially allow businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ community and refuse service on the grounds of religious freedom. The bill was not only bad for civil rights, but also for the state's economy, recording losses of up to $60 million in revenue. Not only did Pence support discrimination of the LGBTQ community on the grounds of religious rights, he also favored a ban on gay marriage in the state.

The Indiana Governor also tweeted in December 2015 that the "calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional" — as long as they don't relocate to Indiana. Pence was fervently opposed to allowing Syrian refugees to resettle in Indiana, stating, "Indiana has a long tradition of opening our arms and homes to refugees ... but, as governor, my first responsibility is to ensure the safety and security of all Hoosiers."

If there's one thing Pence has been committed to as Indiana governor, it's a restriction of access to abortion rights and services. In 2011, Pence sponsored a bill that would prohibit federal funding from being allocated to Planned Parenthood. He also signed a law earlier this year that would ban the procedure in cases where the fetus could have a condition that is life-threatening. And the state of Indiana became the subject of an ACLU and Planned Parenthood lawsuit. Indiana has made abortion hard to access, with mandatory written consent laws for minors, as well as a mandatory 72-hour waiting period.

Pence makes a good fit for Trump on a number of platforms, which is why you should be scared of the Indiana governor as his VP pick. On immigration, Pence supported building a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2006 — a policy platform that has been central to Trump's campaign since he announced his candidacy.

If anything, Trump's VP pick is an reminder of Trump's judgement.