Vice President Mike Pence lands at London-Corbin Airport Thursday

Vice President Mike Pence met with supporters at the London Corbin Airport where he landed Thursday while en route to meetings in Manchester.

Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Matt Bevin, and Congressman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., meet with supporters after the vice president landed at the London-Corbin Airport Thursday for a visit to Manchester.

Mr. Pence landed at approximately 11 p.m. and was greeted by Governor Matt Bevin, and Congressman Hal Rogers, R-KY, who represents southeast Kentucky.

The trio then met with the group that included Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus, Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White, Jr., and Circuit Court Judge Michael O. Caperton, who serves Knox and Laurel County.

“I thought that was awesome!” said Harrison, who, accompanied by his wife, Maria, had the opportunity to shake the vice president’s hand, and have a photo taken with him.

“He was nice as could be,” Harrison said of Pence.

“I was impressed,” White added.

“He was a very gracious man.”

Before he was driven to Manchester, Pence took the opportunity to meet with a group of television and newspaper reporters who were on hand.

Pence said President Trump was aware of the situation involving the Blackjewel coal miners in Harlan County.

The company filed bankruptcy on July 1. When the miners were not paid, a group of them blocked a railroad line carrying coal from the mine where they worked and have continued to do so.

Pence said the security logistics involved in having Mr. Trump visit the miners on site make it very unlikely that would happen.

Governor Bevin said he has visited the miners and, while everyone would like to wave a magic wand and make the miners whole again, the matter is something that must wind its way through the legal process.

With the recent mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, Mr. Pence was asked about whether he would encourage the Kentucky State Legislature to pass a so-called “Red Flag Law,” which would allow police to secure a warrant, or in dire circumstances, immediately take possession of an individuals firearms in the interest of public safety.

Once in Manchester, Mr. Pence was scheduled to meet with Governor Bevin and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for a briefing on the Innovative Readiness Training program that Governor Bevin brought to the state.

The IRT program is a Department of Defense project that partners with towns across the country to provide medical care and infrastructure needs to rural and underprivileged communities.

Following the briefing, Mr. Pence was to deliver remakes at an invitation-only event concerning the opioid crisis, and how Kentucky is responding.