Mike Pence Accepts JFK Profile in Courage Award, Reflects on Duty and Constitution

Acceptance of the Profile in Courage Award

• 🏅 Mike Pence expresses profound humility and honor in receiving the 2025 Profile in Courage Award, viewing association with President Kennedy's legacy as a lifelong distinction.
• 💡 He shares a childhood memory of President Kennedy's funeral, noting that Kennedy's eloquence and example first inspired his belief in public service as a noble calling.
• 🗣️ Pence acknowledges the presence of distinguished guests, including Governor Healey, Governor Baker, and members of the Kennedy family, expressing gratitude for their warm welcome.

Reflections on Duty and the Constitution

• 🇺🇸 Pence states that he believes he did his duty on a fateful day four years ago to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution, drawing inspiration from John Quincy Adams's diary.
• 📜 He emphasizes that public servants take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, a pledge he believes is paramount.
• 🏛️ The January 6th event is described as a tragic day that became a triumph of freedom, with institutions holding because leaders in both parties did their duty.

Personal Gratitude and Family

• 🙏 Pence shares the recognition with his wife, Karen, highlighting her strength and refusal to leave the Capitol on a challenging day.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He extends gratitude to his children and their spouses, as well as his mother and late father, for their steadfast love and support.
• 🤝 He also thanks his former chief of staff, Mark Short, and general counsel, Greg Jacob, for their indispensable counsel and courage during critical days.

Political Beliefs and Common Ground

• ⚖️ Pence identifies as a conservative who believes in a strong defense, limited government, and the right to life, while also expressing differences with his party on spending, tariffs, and the U.S. role as a global leader supporting Ukraine.
• 🤝 He asserts that more unites Americans than divides them, emphasizing that for most people, concerns are about family and making an honest living.
• 📖 The Constitution is presented as the common ground that binds Americans together, leveling barriers and forming the foundation for a secure and prosperous future.

Faith in the American People and Future

• 💪 Pence expresses faith in the American people, whom he has seen rise to challenges in good times and bad, describing them as faithful, resilient, hardworking, generous, and patriotic.
• 🌟 He believes America's best days are yet to come if people turn their hearts to God and make His work their own, echoing President Kennedy's sentiment.
• 🕊️ He concludes by asking for God's blessing on the memory of President John F. Kennedy and on all Americans.