VP Mike Pence set to make Greensburg campaign stop

Vice President Mike Pence is set to make a campaign stop Thursday in Greensburg.

As part of a Cops for Trump event, Pence will make an appearance at the city’s police station at noon. Doors will open at 10 a.m. and close at 11:30 a.m.

Cops for Trump describes itself as a coalition of police officers who support President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

Tickets can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis at events.donaldjtrump.com. A disclaimer on the ticket site states that anyone registering voluntarily assumes any risks associated with potential exposure to the coronavirus.

Gov. Tom Wolf has enacted limits on the size of gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. At outdoor events, the maximum crowd size is 250 people. Twenty-five people can attend indoor events.

It is unclear where the event will be held at the South Main Street station that also serves as city hall.

In June, Trump signed an executive order after weeks of protests across the country demanding police and justice reform. Among other changes, the order would use financial incentives to encourage police to adopt co-responder programs, in which social workers respond alongside police to nonviolent calls involving mental health, addiction and homelessness. Another piece of the order establishes a database of officers with histories of complaints against them.

Trump has expressed his support in recent weeks for police officers while making efforts to reduce crime and raise standards for cops, according to the Associated Press. He has said the executive order is an alternative for activists’ calls to defund police departments nationwide, which emerged from the protests.

Trump is seeking to tie 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden to that effort, according to Bloomberg News. Biden hopes to create a national police oversight commission, if elected, and has urged departments nationwide to alter their training and hiring practices.