Before 600 victims of persecution and advocates for the persecuted church at the Mayflower Hotel for the first ever World Summit In Defense Persecuted Christians sponsored by evangelist Franklin Graham, Pence, who is a devout Christian, called President Trump a "champion" of religious freedom. Pence's presence at the summit, he said, signifies the president's "tangible commitment to reaffirm America's role as a beacon of hope and light and liberty, to inspire the world."

America was, is, and will always be a shining city on a hill, he continued, where people throughout our history have been able to practice their faith openly and freely, he said.

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