STEPHANIE RUHLE (HOST): Last night, as I just mentioned, you put out a big tweet congratulating Donald Trump. What is it that he did last night that restored your confidence in him? You were highly offended by what he said on that tape over the weekend. But last night, when I think about his apology, he didn't really say anything different than he had on Friday night.

MIKE PENCE: Well, I thought his apology on Friday night was appropriate. I said on Saturday that I was offended by his comments and urged him to show his heart to the American peopleSunday night. And I think he did that. And I think in saying that he was not proud of it, that he apologized to his family, to the American people, and that he was embarrassed about the talk that he'd engaged in 11 years ago was appropriate. But what I was proud of was that having shown that humility, he focused the reminder of the 90 minutes on the issues really before the American people. I mean, we're living in a time where there are large parts of the wider Middle East that are literally spinning apart due to the policies that Hillary Clinton put into effect when she was secretary of state. We've got people across this country struggling in this economy, struggling to make ends meet, going more than a decade without any real increase in income. And the American people saw last night, not just a choice between two candidates, but really a choice between two futures. And Donald Trump laid that out, and I'm just proud to be standing with him and look forward to being on the campaign trail today.

RUHLE: Sir, before we get to those politics, though, you have said you're a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. Were your Christian values not rocked on Saturday? And if they were, today, wouldn't it appear that you're putting your political views, your party, above your faith?

PENCE: Well, thanks for reflecting on my faith. I'm always happy to have people note that in my life and humbled by it. My faith teaches two things. Number one is that we try to live up to a godly standard in our life. And we speak truth when people don't reflect that. But secondly, the other part of my faith is grace. I believe in redemption. I believe in second chances. And I think Donald Trump in expressing genuine contrition and remorse, apologizing not only to his family but to the American people for the words that he's used, I think, and saying he was truly embarrassed about all of it on national television last night, you know, merits grace. I believe in redemption and I believe the American people believe in grace. And that's a centerpiece of my faith.

RUHLE: Is grabbing a vagina or using your power to kiss a woman, whether she wants it or not, an act of grace?

PENCE: Well, Donald Trump made it clear that those were words, only words, last night. That he hadn't engaged in any of that behavior, and I believe him. Look, I understand the media's focus on this. I understand your focus on it. I'm just telling you, I'm headed to North Carolina this morning. I was in Rhode Island on Saturday night. This is just not where the American people are focused. I mean, there's a lot of people anxious about the rise of terrorism in the world, literally a foreign policy that's emboldened our enemies and abandoned our friends. People are struggling in this economy to make ends meet. And they see in Hillary Clinton someone who wants to continue all of the same failed policies that have weakened America's place in the world and stifled our economy. And last night, Donald Trump focused this debate, seemingly against all odds, he focused this debate on the choice the American people face four weeks from tomorrow. And I'm honored to be standing with him, and I'm going to be fighting every day between now and Election Day to bring home a great victory for the American people.

RUHLE: One of those tasks for you, sir, is to get the American people, not just to not want to vote for Hillary Clinton, but to vote for Donald Trump. My mom is a lifetime Republican and she's a Catholic. But before her party, she puts being treated as an equal and with respect. And what she believes in before being a Republican, is she believes in me. And when I saw her on Saturday, she said, “He's gone too far. I can't vote for this man. He doesn't respect you, Stephanie. And he never will.” What do you say to my mom, a suburban Republican woman, who no longer can vote for him because he doesn't believe in her daughter?

PENCE: Well, I would say to your mom, she must be very proud of you and your extraordinary career. I talk to my mom over the weekend, too. What I would tell your mom or anybody else is that there are two human beings running in this election. And nobody is perfect. I can think of one person who was perfect in human history. Beyond that, none of us are. But at the end of the day, this is an election that is a choice between not just people but policies. It's whether or not we think that continuing to cut back in our military, continuing to lead from behind, continuing to have an apologistic type foreign policy, and continuing with more taxes, more regulation, more Obamacare, more of the war on energy that's been crushing the American economy, continuing with what Hillary Clinton we now know advocated in private speeches on Wall Street of literally open borders, sanctuary cities, catch and release. If continuing with all of those policies makes sense, then people are more than entitled to vote for her and support Hillary Clinton. But if they want change, if they want a change of direction of America, if they want us to be standing tall on the world stage, rebuilding our military, getting this economy moving again the way that John F. Kennedy got it moving, the way that Ronald Reagan got it moving, through less taxes, less regulation, repealing Obamacare, unleashing the power of American energy and ending illegal immigration, all of that coming together, then I encourage them to stand with the Trump Pence team and vote for us come November 8.

Previously:

Watch CNN’s Dana Bash Push Trump's Campaign Manager To Admit Trump Was Talking About Assault 

CNN’s Jake Tapper Destroys Rudy Giuliani's Argument That Trump's Sexual Assault Comments Are Normal

MSNBC's Joy Reid Highlights Trump's “Predatory Use Of Celebrity” Against Women