Pence short trip to NFL game cost Indianapolis police $14K

Vice President Mike Pence’s attendance at an NFL game that he quickly left after a national anthem protest cost Indianapolis about $14,000 in police overtime and other costs.

The figures were released Tuesday by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The left-leaning policy group sought details about expenses surrounding Pence’s October 8 trip. 

It found that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s costs included nearly $11,500 in overtime for tactical and traffic officers.

The group says Pence inappropriately used taxpayer money for a political stunt.

The former Indiana governor left the Indianapolis Colts game when about a dozen San Francisco 49ers players took a knee during the anthem. 

Pence later tweeted he wouldn’t dignify an event that disrespected the flag.

‘I left today’s Colts game because President Trump and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem,’ Pence said in a statement that the White House quickly pushed out to reporters. 

Vice President Mike Pence (left) and Karen Pence (right) tweeted about being at the game, using a photo from 2014, noting that former quarterback Peyton Manning was being honored, before leaving after 49ers players didn’t rise during the national anthem 

Soon after Pence exited the game, Trump took credit for it being his idea.  

‘I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen,’ Trump wrote on Twitter. 

‘While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don’t think it’s too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem,’ Pence wrote in a separate series of tweets at the time. 

‘I stand with President Trump, I stand with our soldiers, and I will always stand for our Flag and our National Anthem,’ he said.  

 

Vice President Mike Pence sent out a number of tweets explaining why he and his wife Karen left the Indianapolis Colts game after the national anthem was played

The White House very quickly pushed out a statement from the vice president explaining his reasoning for leaving the game, which echoed his tweets 

The vice president later tweeted a photo of himself standing, with right hand over heart, for the Star Spangled Banner.   

‘We were proud to stand – with all our @Colts – or our soldiers, our flag, and our National Anthem,’ Pence wrote. 

A Pence spokeswoman didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.