Pence: ‘Trump Being Firm and Candid’ with World Leaders

President Donald Trump is being candid and firm with world leaders, just as he was with the U.S. public during the 2016 campaign, according to Vice President Mike Pence.

“I think the American people have a president that is candid with them and candid with the world, and his conversations with world leaders reflect a respectfulness but a seriousness and directness that the people of this country are already used to coming from President Donald Trump,” Pence told host Sean Hannity in an interview on Fox News Thursday. “And the rest of the world … is discovering that. Look, we’ve got a lot of challenges in the world.”

Trump took great criticism on Thursday after leaks from two transcripts of his calls with world leaders.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday night that Trump told Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto that the U.S. military was not afraid to take on Mexican cartels — or “bad hombres,” as Trump said.

“You aren’t doing enough to stop them,” said Trump, according to a report. “I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.”

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Trump also reportedly told the Australian prime minister that he was upset about a 2016 agreement to take in hundreds of Middle Eastern refugees that Australia is holding.

Pence said Trump is being plain-spoken.

“He’s speaking as the way he always does, respectfully, firmly, directly and I think the world welcomes him,” said Pence.

Trump’s new administration also ran into massive criticism last weekend when Trump issued an executive order banning travel for 90 days from seven troubled African and Middle Eastern nations.

Critics called it  a”Muslim ban.” Pence told Hannity that the media is not being fair-minded.

“Any fair-minded person looking at the president’s action knows that what President Trump has done is essentially impose a pause on countries that have been compromised by terrorism so that we can evaluate the screening process and establish an extreme vetting so that people coming into this country don’t represent a threat to our families and to our communities,” said Pence. “It’s an indefinite pause with regard to Syria.  But with regard to the other countries, we’re going to be calling on the Department of Homeland Security, all of our team to work together to evaluate how we can … continue to go forward with immigration for those countries but not compromise the safety and security of the American people. But … it’s not a Muslim ban.”

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Pence also said the Trump administration is committed to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act  as soon as possible.

“We are absolutely committed to follow through on President Trump’s directive to repeal and replace Obamacare and to have the Congress do it at the same time,” said Pence. “The president has made it very clear we are having ongoing discussions with leadership, with the House and Senate … The American people said we want to repeal Obamacare and we’re working … with leadership in the Congress to do just that.  But what President Trump said that at the same time that we repeal it, we’re going to bring forward through legislation and, to your point, through executive action, the kind of replacement that will harness the power of the free market, give Americans more choices that’ll drive down the cost of health insurance, and make it affordable for everyone. And we’re going to do it all at the same time.”