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Vice President Mike Pence addresses the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians as Franklin Graham watches, Thursday, May 11, 2017, in Washington. The summit is hosted by Franklin Graham, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.Cliff OwenAP

A top cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin met privately with Vice President Mike Pence Thursday morning and urged the U.S. to cooperate with Russia to combat terrorism in the Middle East.

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Moscow, who chairs the Russian Orthodox Churchs external relations department, spoke with Pence backstage at evangelist Franklin Grahams Washington summit on religious violence against Christians .

It is only one united, international anti-terrorist coalition which can combat terrorism and win, Hilarion told TIME during an interview in a suite at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., a few blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. The two countries should put these political differences aside.

A White House spokesman confirmed Pence's meeting with Hilarion and said the cleric's comments also reflected President Trump's views. Hilarion says that after talking with Pence, he feels very positive about the future of the relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Last month, the White House accused the Russian government of covering up the Syrian regimes role in a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of people in a rebel-held town. In response to the attack, the U.S. launched a military strike on a Syrian airfield . Putin, who has backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, condemned the strike.

The situation in Syria is indicative of the different approaches of America and Russia, Hilarion says. Any change of political regime could be implemented after the terrorists are expelled from the country.

Pence addressed Grahams summit on Thursday morning. He told the crowd that the topic of violence against Christians was of enormous importance to this administration, and called ISIS guilty of genocide against people of the Christian faith. Hilarion says he found Pences speech exceptional, and expects to meet with Putin when he returns home to discuss his conversation with Pence.

The backstage conversation was two years in the making. In late 2015, as refugees fled the war raging in Syria, Graham huddled with Hilarion at the cleric's home in Moscow. By the fireside, they brainstormed a global conference to raise awareness of violence against Christians in the Middle Eastthe most burning issue of our time, Hilarion says. Graham also met on that trip with Putin, who promised he would do all he could to help their cause.

The men planned a summit to be held in Moscow. But shortly after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president, Graham moved the event to Washington at the Russian leaders suggestion.

The relationship between the American evangelist and the Russian President has been forged amid rising tensions between the two nations and as Russia cracks down on religious freedom. But Graham says the two men share a commitment to protecting Christians abroad. Putin, Graham says, sees himself as the defender of the Christian remnant in Syria, and Christians and other religious minorities are largely safe if they live in areas the Syrian government controls.

America used to defend the Christians around the world, Graham says. We dont do that anymore.

Hilarion and Graham share common cause beyond protecting Christians in the Middle East. Both support Putins push to impose ultraconservative policiesincluding staunch opposition to abortion and gay rightsat a time of increasing secularization in the West.

When Hilarion addressed the summit Thursday morning, he spoke out not just against the physical violence some Christians face, but also the curtailment of peoples rights to the public expression of their faith, and the legalization of euthanasia and abortion in Western countries. He criticized the U.S. for its ideology aimed at supporting sexual minorities and the propaganda of the homosexual life. His remarks echoed Graham, who in 2014 praised Putin for protecting his nations children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda when Russia passed a controversial anti-gay law ahead of the Sochi Olympics.

Not all evangelical leaders welcome the idea of a partnership with the Russian Orthodox Churchand, by extension, the Russian government. Last summer Russia passed a law that restricted foreign missionary work. In April, the Russian Supreme Court banned Jehovahs Witnesses . The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom then recommended for the first time that Russia be named in the top tier of the worst international religious-freedom offenders. Even on Thursday , during the Washington summit, a Russian blogger was convicted of religious hatred for playing Pokemon Go in a Yekaterinburg church .

To say these are the defenders of Christianity belies credulity, says former Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Its bizarre. Putins is a gospel-fighting regime, says Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Conventions public policy arm.

Graham's four-day summit aims to forge new partnerships, both religious and political. Grahams Samaritans Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association spent $4 million on the event, flying in some 600 participants from 136 countries. Attendees received a swag bag with a customized iPad loaded with conference materials. Select VIPs, like Hilarion, got rooms at the Trump International Hotelnot at the Mayflower Hotel a few blocks away, where nearly all conference events occur.

In addition to Pence, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma spoke Thursday at the summit. Several of Trumps evangelical advisors flew in to participate, including Bachmann, Orlando pastor Paula White, Baptist pastor Jack Graham (no relation to Franklin) and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference president Sam Rodriguez. Grahams staff also arranged for select conference participants to meet State Department officials.

Hilarion is encouraged by Russia's growing ties with U.S. evangelicals. We will continue to work closely with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association but also with the larger evangelical community of this country, he says. We have many allies.

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A persistentyoung visitor to the nation's capitalgot an apology from Mike Pence Tuesdayafter the vice president accidentally "bopped" the boy's face with the back of his hand during an event.

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A staff member tries to stop a boy from attempting to remove the Vice Presidential seal from the podium as Vice President Mike Pence speaks in his Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, May 9, 2017, during an event celebrating National Military Appreciation Month and National Military Spouse Appreciation Day.(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)

A persistentyoung visitor to the nation's capitalgot an apology from Mike Pence Tuesdayafter the vice president accidentally "bopped" the boy's face with the back of his hand during an event.

The brief and humorous interaction happened as Pence and his wife welcomed military families to theEisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., according to Newsweek.

After Karen Pence introduced Marlon Bundo, the Pence family rabbit and BOTUS, Mike Pence took to the podium to express his gratitude to the families in attendance, and the kids who joined them at the mic.

That is when Pence extended his arm just a bit too far and brushed the face of a boy standing to his right. A minor thing, but the boy wasn't about to let it go ignored.

After Pence gave his closing remark and gave the bopped boy a high-five, the boy politely tried to get the vice president's attention by following him near the podium andsaying, "excuse me." At one point the child leaned close to the microphone and said, "you owe me an apology."

As soon as Pence realized, he turned to boy and said, "Oh, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to bop you."

More from the Marlon Bundo debut:First bunny overshadows Mike Pence during first White House appearance

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter:@justinlmack.

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Kid asks for apology after getting accidentally backhanded by Mike Pence during Marlon Bundo's debut - Indianapolis Star

David Jackson and Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today Published 4:09 p.m. ET May 11, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

Earlier this week, the president told congressional leaders he believes 3 million to 5 million illegal ballots cost him the popular vote. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

President Trump boards Air Force One before his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on May 4, 2017.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

WASHINGTON President DonaldTrump signed an executive order Thursday to set upa commission to study his unproven allegations of voter fraud in last year's presidential election, as he continues to grapple with the fallout from his abrupt and controversial firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The commission will be chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, who will be joined by up to 15other members, including Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson.Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has advocated for some of the most restrictiveelection laws in the country, will serve as the commission's vice chair.

"The president's committed to the thorough review of registration and voting issues in federal elections,'' saidWhite House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders."And that's exactly what this commission is tasked with doing.''

Trump, wholost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by nearly 2.9 million votes, has claimed that last year's election included up to 5 million fraudulent voters butthere is no evidence to back this assertion.

Trump'sexecutive order creating the "Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity'' comes as Democrats and other critics accuse him of firing Comey to obstruct an ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russians who tried to influence last year's election.

Read more:

Comey's fired. Here's what we know about probes into Trump campaign and Russia

Senate Democrats seek Comeys testimony amid new questions about his ouster

Comey fired before Justice Department could complete internal probe into his election actions

The president is planning a visit to the FBI headquarters in the coming days to calm the waters, administration officials said. But the unexpected announcement of the new commission which was not on Trump's public schedule for the day might be seen as a way to distract from the firestorm unleashed by the Comey firing earlier this week.

Voting rights advocates blasted the new executive order, calling ita distraction that doesn't address pressing issues such voter suppression.

We hold grave concerns about this commission and the impact that it will likely have on minority communities across our country," said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.In our view, President Trump has launched this commission to create a distraction from actual threats to our democracy, including ongoing voter discrimination, voter suppression and Russias interference in the 2016 election.

Meanwhile, federal and state election officials from both parties have disputed Trump's claims of massive voter fraud. They say there have been few, if any, incidents of people voting when they were not registered or voting by people who were not American citizens.

"Every election is going to have issues, but I dont think that 3 to 5 million people voting illegally was one of those issues," said Thomas Hicks, then-chairman of the federal Election Assistance Commission said inJanuary in USA TODAY.

Election officials have said they worryTrumps claims could shake the faith of voters, particularly at a time when the FBI and Congress are investigating whether Russia interfered in last years presidential election.

For his part, Trump has stood by his claim.

"We'll see after the committee," Trump toldTimemagazine in March.

The ordercalls forthe commissiontostudy the "vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting.''

The advisory commissionset up to"promote fair and honest federal elections''will hold public meetings and meet with federal state and local officials as well as election experts, according to the order. The commissionis expected topresent a report to the president next year.

"The experts and officials on this commission will follow the facts where they lead,'' Sanders said.

But voting rights advocates expressed doubts.Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, called the commission a sham and a distraction.

Brennan released a recentnationalreport thatdisputed Trump's claims of massive fraud.Of23.5 million votes cast in 42 jurisdictionsin last year's general election,about30 were incidents ofsuspectednoncitizen voting, the report found.

"All studies, including our own, have shown that voter fraud is vanishingly rare,'' Myrna Prez, deputy director of the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, said in a statement. "And, the myth of voter fraud has been the justification for restrictive voting laws for years, serving to roll back access to our democracy for people all across the country."

Voting rights advocates say the administration should focus on making access to the polls easier instead of unfounded claims of voter fraud. They argue some lawmakers are using the claim to ramp up more restrictive election laws.

States, mostly controlled by Republican legislatures, have adopted more election laws, including voter ID laws, in recent years. Supporters say they help protect against voter fraud.

Voting rights advocates also tookaim atTrump's appointment ofKobach to the commission. Kobach, a conservative, has been in legal battles in Kansas over some ofthe state's election laws, including one requiring voters to prove their citizenship before voting.

"No commission with Secretary Kobach at the helm can be taken seriously," said Clarke, from the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Other commission members include Republicans such as Ken Blackwell, former Secretary of State of Ohio; and Christy McCormick, a commissioner on the Election Assistance Commission. Democrats include Bill Gardner, New Hampshires Secretary of State, and Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap.

Clarke said she's surprised to see Trump follow through on his promise to set upthe commissionconsidering the lack ofevidence. Its also disappointing that nowhere in this executive order is there any sensitivity to this administrations obligation to enforce federal rights law,'' she said. "There is no reference to voting discrimination or voter suppression. Those words simply do not appear."

Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called the commission a waste of taxpayer money.

"Instead of supporting an investigation into fake issues like voter fraud that pose no threat to the country, the Trump administration should support an investigation into real issues that do,real issues like Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, campaign collusion and cover-up, and voter suppression and intimidation,'' Richmond said in a joint statement withMichigan Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

Trump's order, however, could get support from some Republican lawmakers, who have welcomed a federal investigation into allegations of voter fraud.

Safeguarding our democracy requires fair and accurate elections, Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., chairman of the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal elections, said earlier this year.

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Vice President Mike Pence and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke are scheduled to visit a coal mine on the Crow Reservation Friday. The Trump Administration has voiced its support for the coal industry, but spokesmen for the industry and an environmental organization arent certain what can be done to help that ailing energy source.

Still the executive director of the Montana Coal Council is pleased the AbsalokaMine was selected to showcase the industry.

Bud Clinch says the visit gives officials the opportunity to, share with them the unique relationship that exists there between a private coal mining company and the Crow Tribe because the majority of the miners there are Crow members.

The Absaloka Mine is a partnership between Westmoreland Coal Company and others formed to lease and mine the coal reserves from the Crow Tribe.

Clinch said the visit is important as Trump Administration has already taken steps to reverse rules and regulations put into place by the Obama Administration. He said while that has provided some relief, the coal industry still faces competition from cheap natural gas thats being used for electric generation.

Are things perfect and rosy? Certainly not, said Clinch. But there are vastly improved over what theyve been in the last few years.

Derf Johnson is a staff attorney for the Montana Environmental Information Center. He said coal faces another pressure from cheap and abundant renewable energy.

Dont take it from me, Johnson said. Take it from Warren Buffett. Take it from utilities. Take it from energy experts. That is the long term prediction for the coal industry.

Johnson doubts a visit to a Montana coal mine by Trump Administration officials can stop the long term structural decline and demand for coal.

The way theyve been portraying the potential rebound for the coal industry is really dishonest, he said. It doesnt comport with reality. It doesnt comport with the way the economics of energy are moving forward into the future and I think its giving people a sense of false hope.

After the mine tour, Vice President Mike Pence and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke are scheduled to meet with industry and Crow tribal representatives for a business roundtable.

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It's been more than a decade since a sitting vice president visited Billings, according to Gazette archives.

Then-Vice President Dick Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming,spoke at the Billings Hotel for 20 minutes on Oct. 2, 2006, according to Gazette archives.One-hundred-and-fifty people paid $250 a plate to see the vice president speak.

Like the upcoming visit of Vice President Mike Pence, Cheney's visit was aimed at boosting the chances of a Republican candidate in a race for Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.Pence will speak at the Montana Pavilionat MetraPark Friday at 6 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the event is free.

The 2006 fundraiser was on behalf of Rep. Denny Rehberg, but Cheney also spoke out against Republican Sen. Conrad Burns' Democratic opponent, then-State Sen. Jon Tester.

Then-Vice President Dick Cheney speaks during a fundraiser for then-Rep. Denny Rehberg at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in Billings on Oct. 2, 2006. Current Vice President Mike Pence will speak at the Montana Pavilion of MetraPark Friday at 6 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the event is free.

Cheney attacked Tester for his opposition to the Patriot Act, a piece of legislation passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that granted law enforcement and certain federal agencies unprecedented powers, which some critics have said are in violation of the privacy rights of U.S. citizens.

Referring to the Iraq War, Cheney said "retreat has failed in the past ... betraying friends only heightens the danger to America," and he urged attendees to "reject this defeatism," of the war.

Cheney highlighted the Bush administration's economic policies, specifically pointing to tax cuts that he credited with fueling economic growth. Despite his promise that more people were working and the standard of living for American workers was "on the rise," only one of the two congressional candidates Cheney stumped for that night would return to Washington after the election's conclusion.

Neither then-Democratic State Rep. Monica Lindeen nor Libertarian candidate Mike Fellows were able to defeat Rehberg. Tester, however, won his race against Burns.

Prior to Cheney, the last sitting vice president to visit Billings was Dan Quayle, vice president under George H.W. Bush, in 1992.

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