Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence took the stage together for the first time Saturday morning as the presumptive Republican ticket and the pair pledged to unify conservatives, protect Christians from an increasingly dangerous tide of prejudice and prevent Hillary Clinton from wreaking havoc on the country.

Saying that he chose Pence because he would bring “party unity” in the aftermath of a heavily divisive primary cycle, the presumptive Republican nominee also told the crowd gathered at the press conference in New York the Indiana governor was the best person to help crush Clinton. After blasting Clinton for her private server email scandal as secretary of state and condemning her for her “weak” response to the threat of radical Islamic terrorism, Trump praised Pence for his strength and leadership as Indiana’s governor and as a former congressman.

“Mike Pence is a man of honor, character and honesty. We know that. Hillary Clinton is the embodiment of corruption.”

“What a difference between crooked Hillary Clinton and Mike Pence,” Trump said. “Mike Pence is a man of honor, character and honesty. We know that. Hillary Clinton is the embodiment of corruption.”

As Trump sought to bridge the gap between himself and holdout conservatives who have hesitated to support his candidacy, he touted Pence as a devoted Christian whose commitment to socially conservative values complement Trump’s respect for religious liberty.

“And I want to thank the evangelicals because without the evangelicals I could not have won this nomination,” Trump said. “I dominated evangelicals and a lot of people were surprised. They say, ‘He’s not perfect.’ But you know what? They know I’m going to get the job done and they’re really smart.”

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Trump added that his ticket is “going to let Christians and Jews and people of religion talk without being afraid to talk” in a society that has become increasingly antagonistic to religious liberty under President Barack Obama’s administration. Trump promised to reverse that downward slope “so that religion can again have a voice because religion’s voice has been taken away. And we’re going to change that.”

When Pence himself took the stage to accept Trump’s vice presidential offer, he expressed his gratitude to God, his family, and to Trump, whom he called “this builder, this fighter, this patriotic American who has set aside a legendary career in business to build a stronger America.”

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“Donald Trump understands the frustrations and the hopes of the American people like no leader since Ronald Reagan. The American people are tired. They’re tired of being told — we’re tired of being told that this is as good as it gets,” Pence said. “Donald Trump gets it and he understands the American people. I truly am deeply humbled to be at his side today.”

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Saying he is “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican in that order,” Pence said he accepted Trump’s offer for two reasons: because he knows that “strong Republican leadership can bring about real change,” and because “Hillary Clinton must never become president of the United States of America.”

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Urging the Republican Party to unite in the fight against Clinton and the destructive agenda of the Democratic Party, Pence praised the “no-nonsense leadership” of Trump as the impetus needed to bring about change for the country in a race where “the stakes could not be higher.”

“To every American who shares our convictions, I say to you: Join us,” Pence concluded. “For the sake of our security, for the sake of our prosperity, for the sake of a Supreme Court that will never turn its back on our God-given liberties, let’s come together as a party, and a people, and a movement to make America great again. And that day begins when Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States of America.”