The White House has released details about Wednesday’s visit to the central San Joaquin Valley by Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence.
The vice president, making his first public visit to Fresno and Kings counties since taking office in 2017, has two events scheduled. His wife has one public event.

Pence Itinerary

Air Force Two is scheduled to arrive at Naval Air Station Lemoore at 11:10 a.m.
The vice president is then scheduled to speak at a noon fundraising luncheon for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, hosted by John and Carole Harris at their Harris Ranch property in Coalinga. The event is closed to the public and media.
Mike Pence then will deliver a speech about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement at the Freitas Family Farm, just outside Lemoore. That event is scheduled to start with a panel discussion at 1:30 p.m., with Pence arriving later for his remarks.
The USMCA is a trade pact between the three nations that is designed to supplant the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. It has not been ratified by Congress.
Meanwhile, Karen Pence will visit military spouses at NAS Lemoore, to “highlight employment solutions for military spouses,” according to a White House news release. That is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Panel Precedes Pence Arrival

An agricultural and manufacturer panel will precede Vice President Pence’s visit to Freitas Family Farm.
According to event organizer America First Policies, Kraig Baron of Western Saw in Oxnard, Steve Cozzetto of Century Rubber in Bakersfield, Jeff Johnson of the U.S. Meat Export Board, and the farmer hosting the event, Joshua Freitas, will serve on the panel.
Curtis Ellis with America First Policies will moderate the event. He also served on the 2016 Trump election campaign and transition team.
Cozzetto, Century Rubber’s president, says organizers invited him to be on the panel through his trade group memberships. Century Rubber makes products for mainly aircraft defense and electronic industries. He joked he was invited because he didn’t mind going to Lemoore in the summer.
“This will improve the jobs here in the United States,” Cozzetto said of USMCA. “I’m trying to keep from losing customers overseas and having my competitors building factories in Mexico.”
Although he’s not active in party politics, Cozzetto looks forward to possibly sharing the stage with the vice president.
“I didn’t think I would be all jazzed up about the star power. But, you know what? I feel like a teenager going to a rock concert,” Cozzetto said.
The event is open to the public, but requires online registration. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and is first-come, first-served.

Touring California

According to the White House, the Pences will leave later that afternoon, arriving at Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc at 5 p.m., before continuing to San Diego.
At Vandenberg, Mike Pence will receive a briefing about the base’s missile launch operations and speak with personnel.