The many strange positions of Trump's VP choice, Mike Pence

While Trump has gained tons of support for being a bit of an unusual candidate (to make an understatement), his recent announcement of Indiana governor Mike Pence as his pick for Vice President came with its own oddities.

Let's look at some of the more peculiar theories held by Pence during both his older and more recent platforms.

Disney’s Mulan was made to trick kids into accepting women in the military

Lots of millennials remember the 1998 Disney film Mulan as where Donny Osmond taught them how to be a man. But shortly after the film's release, Pence decried the film as a targeted attempt to trick young kids into thinking that it was OK for women to be in the military.

His 1999 op-ed, was no longer available, but Buzzfeed recovered it from the archives of his old radio show website. In it, Pence laments that "despite her delicate features and voice, Disney expects us to believe that Mulan's ingenuity and courage were enough to carry her to military success."

But Pence didn't just claim the movie promoted something he believed to be wrong; he thought the film was specifically made to brainwash kids into thinking women could be good soldiers. Pence continues about a "mischievous liberal at Disney," who thought the film they were sinisterly producing "will cause a quiet change in the next generation’s attitude about women in combat and they just might be right.”

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The "next generation" has indeed been more accepting of women in the armed forces, but whether this was caused by women being great soldiers, or a film retelling of a sixth-century tale was an open-and-shut case for Pence.

Smoking is not as harmful as anti-smoking ads

Shortly after in 2001, Pence took to task all those government anti-smoking ads which went around saying how smoking killed millions of Americans each year.

In an essay titled "The Great American Smoke Out" on his late website, Pence argued that smoking isn't good for you, sure, but government anti-smoking ads and laws are much, much worse.

"What is more harmful to the nation," he asked, "Second hand smoke or back-handed big government disguised in do-gooder healthcare rhetoric?"

"Time for a quick reality check," he wrote. "Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill."

But unless you believe the Center for Disease Control is in the pocket of Big Anti-Smoking, they reported that cigarettes are directly or indirectly involved in several hundred thousand deaths per year in the United States, mainly by cancer or heart disease.

Pence finally warns, "A government big enough to go after smokers is big enough to go after you."

Remember that next time you're breathing clean air in a non-smoking restaurant. And in case you were wondering, he has, indeed, taken donations from tobacco companies.

Aborted fetuses deserve funeral services

As governor of Indiana, Pence attempted to pass a law banning abortion entirely in June, on the grounds that fetuses should have disability status (it was blocked by a federal judge).

But one particular detail went further than even most anti-abortion laws. According to The Indianapolis Star, it required the remains of aborted fetuses and miscarriages to be buried or cremated.

The law currently has an injunction against it, so it's unlikely to arise again soon.

Banning Muslims from entering the United States is “offensive and unconstitutional”

Last December, Pence stated with no uncertainty that he's opposed to Trump's proposed ban on Muslims.

It is now one of his more surprising beliefs, because the ban on Muslims is a very important part of Trump's campaign platform. Still, the reality star's vice-presidential choice is calling his policies "offensive and unconstitutional."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Now, Pence posted that Tweet back when he still endorsed Ted Cruz for president. Trump has since waved off the endorsement of Cruz as "more of an endorsement for me," but Pence has yet to backpedal on this important part of Trump's campaign. It remains to be seen how it will play out.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.