Vice President Mike Pence at Ave Maria: Religious freedom 'increasingly under attack'

Vice President Mike Pence, in a speech to a friendly audience Thursday at Ave Maria University, decried attacks on religious freedom.

"Freedom of religion is increasingly under attack," Pence said. "These attacks on believing Christians and Christian education are wrong and they must stop."

In 2015, Pence, who was governor of Indiana at the time, signed a "religious freedom" bill into law. The bill was met with criticism that it allowed discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

Pence defended his wife, Karen Pence, who teaches in Virginia at the Immanuel Christian School, which refuses to enroll LGBTQ students. 

Social media coverage:Vice President Mike Pence visits Ave Maria University

Earlier this month, Pence gave a similar speech on religious freedom to the Conservative Political Action Conference. 

Pence said Christians are persecuted in the United States and throughout the world, but he also cited the recent terrorist attacks on two mosques in New Zealand, where 50 people were killed.

"No one should ever fear for their safety in a place of worship, be that a mosque, a church or a synagogue anywhere in the world," Pence said. 

He went on to condemn anti-Semitism. 

"It's rearing its ugly head around the Earth and even in the halls of Congress," Pence said. 

He did not specifically refer to any member of Congress or event.

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However, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, was criticized earlier this month for her comments regarding Israel and its influence in U.S. politics. Her comments were deemed anti-Semitic and denounced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders.

Pence's remarks Thursday came after a visit to the Mother Teresa museum at Ave Maria.

Pence had been greeted by a crowd of about 100 people at Naples Airport when Air Force Two touched down just after 10 a.m. Pence was scheduled to attend a private Victory Trump event in Naples After he left Ave Maria, before flying to Jacksonville for another one.

Religious freedom was only part of Pence's speech. The vice president also touched on abortion, calling President Donald Trump "the most pro-life president in American history."

Pence received loud applause when he reiterated his pledge to defund Planned Parenthood through legislation.

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He recalled Ave Maria's lawsuit against the federal government over a mandate by the Affordable Care Act that employer-provided insurance cover birth control pills and other contraceptives.

In 2014, a federal court granted Ave Maria's injunction to avoid providing contraceptives and paying about $17 million in fees.

"Not only did Ave Maria refuse to comply with that mandate,” Pence said. “You challenged it and you won.”

The Affordable Care Act, also called "Obamacare," has “failed,” said Pence, who added that the GOP will become a party of health care. 

Recently, Trump reaffirmed his administration's intention to eliminate "Obamacare."

Pence referred to Trump on several occasions, and the audience applauded at nearly all mentions. 

Earlier this month:After mini-vacation on Sanibel Island, Vice President Pence returns to political world

Pence thanked U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, for his work to bring attention to Venezuela's political crisis. Diaz-Balart, who represents much of Collier County, received a standing ovation.

Fabiana Rosales de Guaido, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, met with Trump on Wednesday at the White House. Pence called Guaido the "rightful president of Venezuela."

Pence also addressed Ave Maria students directly. The private Catholic university with just more than 1,000 students welcomed Pence inside the Thomas and Selby Prince building. The event was closed to the public, but about 400 seats were filled, many by students.

"Just think of me as a warm-up act for commencement in a couple weeks," Pence said.

Freshman Kelly McCreary, 19, said she attended Pence's speech to hear ideas; 2020 will be her first time voting in a presidential election.

"I'm more here just to listen than to learn," McCreary said. "I'm still kind of new to the political world, so I'm not sure where I stand on any issues."

Pence closed his speech by calling for students to be leaders, especially during the next 16 to 18 months leading up to the election. He urged students to persevere as people challenge their religion or criticize them for their beliefs.

"People follow people that they trust," Pence said.