Vice President Mike Pence, a longtime opponent of progressive social issues, is better suited for the role of president than Donald Trump. In the unlikely event President Trump is impeached before his time in office is up, I reluctantly believe our country would be in better hands under a President Pence.

Many editorials have been written by various news organizations recently discussing what will happen when — not if — President Trump is impeached. Two years is the length of time Trump’s term will last, according to a Feb. 10 Washington Post editorial.

Even prominent Democrats, including California Rep. Maxine Waters, are fanning the impeachment flames by making public statements about it, according to a Feb. 6 CNN article. There seems to be a growing belief — though still unfounded — that Trump will be removed from office before his term is up.

“I think impeachment is going to be a lot harder than people think,” said Alex Forgue, president of LGBTQ student organization Prism. Forgue said Republicans have a reason to want to keep Trump in office, as they currently have a majority in Congress.

Pence vs. LGBTQ rights

While I am not a Republican and had no plans to vote for Trump, I was disturbed when Trump selected Mike Pence as his running mate. Although I try not to be a single-issue voter, as a member of the LGBTQ community, a politician’s stance on LGBTQ equality can be a deal-breaker for me.

Pence has a long history of supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation, according to a Feb. 16 Northern Star article. I share the same concerns NIU students expressed in that article.

Arguing that Vice President Pence, a longtime opponent of LGBTQ rights, would make a better president feels blasphemous. And while I am disturbed by his stance on LGBTQ issues, I stand behind that argument.

“I think Mike Pence would be an outstanding president,” said Edward Bowie, chairman of NIU’s College Republicans. “I think that’s exactly the reason that President Trump picked him to be his running mate.”

Bowie does acknowledge that Pence is tougher on some social issues than he is comfortable with.

“I grew up in a relatively progressive, moderate household,” Bowie said. “Gay rights issues were very important in a house that was otherwise very red and very military, which should go to show you that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive things.”

Bowie said it’s worth noting that former President Barack Obama did not support gay marriage until 2012. And as recently as 2004, Hillary Clinton was giving speeches in the U.S. Senate saying marriage was a bond between a man and a woman. He says he’d like to see Republicans soften their stance on such social issues.

Stability over recklessness

While Forgue believes Pence would actually be worse than Trump, due to his various policy positions including LGBTQ rights, he does acknowledge one area in which Pence differs from Trump.

“Trump is very angry and … very reactionary,” Forgue said. “I think Mike Pence would be more collected.”

This is one of the main reasons I’d feel more comfortable with Pence as president. It concerns me when Trump has combative phone calls with leaders of countries such as Australia and Mexico, as reported in a Feb. 2 Washington Post article. These countries have had long-standing good relations with the U.S., thus it seems reckless to suddenly create unnecessary tension.

It is because of Trump’s continued reckless behavior that I find myself thinking Pence would be a more stable choice to lead our country.

While his LGBTQ policies concern me, I think Congress would halt any discriminatory legislation a President Pence would try to pass. I was encouraged by his recent comments speaking out against LGBTQ discrimination, according to a Feb. 5 ABC News interview.

I hope this reflects a more inclusive agenda for Pence going forward.

“The president has done some things that have really rattled me so far, but he’s also done some things that have encouraged me,” Bowie said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day … so I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt for a while longer.”

Pence’s Feb. 22 visit to a Jewish cemetery in University City, Missouri that was recently vandalized in one of the many recent anti-Semitic acts we’ve seen nationwide was also encouraging, according to a Feb. 22 CNN article. While President Trump has been slow to rebuke anti-Semitism, Pence not only condemned the actions but also helped clean-up efforts.

This is the kind of behavior I’d like to see from Trump. Yes, a president needs to show strength. Yet this should not come at the expense of empathy, rationality and level-headedness. Until I start to see such changes in Trump’s actions, I will continue to begrudgingly maintain that Pence is better suited for the role of president.