Dozens of graduates and faculty at Taylor University walked out of graduation exercises Saturday morning minutes before the introduction of Vice President Mike Pence, who delivered the Christian liberal arts school's commencement address.

Iran Press/America: In caps and gowns, the students and faculty rose and quietly walked down the aisle and out of the auditorium in the Kesler Student Activities Center at Taylor University, USA Today reported.

The protest, planned and discussed prior to Saturday’s ceremony, comes after faculty and students at the nondenominational Christian liberal arts school debated the appropriateness of the vice president at the commencement ceremony.

Thousands signed competing Change.org petitions — one asking the university to rescind the vice president's invitation to speak and the other voicing support for the school's decision. 

It was written in the online petition that Mike Pence's invitation to Taylor University and the provision of space for his political expression would make the graduates, professors, and staff of the university and students collaborate in the policies of the Trump-Pence.

Trump policies have caused dissatisfaction with the American people, and since taking office in January 2017, his government's popularity has declined substantially.

According to a survey conducted by 'The Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS)' with Reuters news agency's cooperation, Donald Trump's popularity has fallen to 37% in 2019.

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