Pence to make first post-White House speech to ‘biblical values’ group that opposes abortion and gay marriage

Pence will speak at the Palmetto Family Council, a Christian conservative nonprofit that opposes abortion and defines marriage as between “husbands and wives”

Former vice president Mike Pence will speak at the Palmetto Family Council in April, an aide says. (Getty Images)

Former vice president Mike Pence will make his first speech since leaving office at a Christian conservative group that lobbies for “biblical principles” in government, a Pence aide told the Associated Press.

Next month, according to the aide, Pence will give the keynote address at a dinner hosted by the Palmetto Family Council, a nonprofit in South Carolina that opposes abortion, defines marriage as between “husbands and wives,” and believes in a “clean society that treasures life, truth, justice and purity.”

The group’s president, Dave Wilson, told AP he was delighted the former VP is coming.

“Vice President Mike Pence... is very reflective of the ideas, policies and direction that we at Palmetto Family want to see in South Carolina: bringing faith to the forefront and growing the next generation of conservative leaders for our state,” he said.

According to Wilson, Pence will speak on April 29 to an audience of 450 to 600 people at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Among the policy “victories” listed on its website, Palmetto Family says “Marriage is defined in the South Carolina Constitution as for one man and one woman,” “The Ten Commandments may be displayed in public buildings,” and “Biology standards must allow critique of evolution.”

In addition to its staunchly conservative values, the Palmetto Family Council is also known for its influential position in South Carolina, the state where the first primaries in the South will take place for the Republican presidential nomination.

Pence has not announced whether he will run for president in 2024, but experts say a speech to the Palmetto group could help put him in a good position to do so.

The former vice president has long voiced his opposition to abortion, a battleground in which Palmetto Family has been extremely vocal. The group successfully campaigned for the South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, a law that banned most abortions in the state. The bill became law in February, but was temporarily blocked by a federal judge the next day.

Palmetto Family sees the abortion fight as a core part of its mission.

“Over the years, Palmetto Family has remained on the front lines of the fight to keep biblical values a consideration in the culture at large and in public policy decisions,” the group says.