Mike Pence is at it again, folks. America’s former vice president sat down with CNN this week to unleash his most blistering critique yet of President Trump’s second term. Pence didn’t hold back, attacking Trump’s America First agenda on everything from tariffs and trade to national security and healthcare appointments. But let’s not kid ourselves: Pence’s grievances say far more about his own political irrelevance than they do about the President’s bold conservative leadership.
“I do have concerns,” Pence somberly intoned about Trump’s aggressive new tariff policies, claiming they are “not targeted” enough. Pence believes Trump’s broad-based tariffs—particularly against countries he labels “friends”—will hurt American consumers and spark inflation. “I think the American people are going to see the consequences of this,” Pence warned CNN. “They’ll demand a different approach.”
But here’s what Pence misses entirely: President Trump understands better than anyone that America’s middle class has been gutted by decades of open-borders globalism and unfair trade deals. Trump’s tariffs aren’t some reckless shot in the dark; they’re a strategic weapon aimed at rebuilding American industry, reviving manufacturing, and keeping good jobs right here at home. Pence may fret about doll prices rising by a few cents, but Trump sees the bigger picture: restoring America’s economic sovereignty and putting our workers first.
On foreign policy, Pence was equally unpersuasive, chastising Trump for not cozying up enough to Canada and accusing him of mishandling Russia and Ukraine. Pence argued, “Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace; he wants Ukraine,” and even warned that if Russia is victorious, they might invade NATO territories next. But Pence conveniently ignores the reality: Trump inherited Biden’s disastrous Ukraine policy, a mess that Pence himself failed to properly address during his years advising the former administration. Trump is now cleaning up that mess, refusing to pour endless billions into a conflict that isn’t ours, and demanding Europe pay its fair share for NATO’s defense.
Perhaps Pence’s most absurd criticism was directed at Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Pence, a lifelong champion of the pro-life movement, expressed outrage that RFK Jr. supports abortion rights. Admittedly, conservatives can differ with Kennedy on some issues—but Kennedy’s appointment was never about abortion. It was about exposing and dismantling the cozy relationship between Big Pharma bureaucrats and federal regulators—a relationship that Pence himself largely ignored or failed to address. Kennedy’s fierce skepticism toward vaccine mandates and pharmaceutical overreach aligns much more closely with conservative ideals of personal freedom and limited government than Pence seems willing to acknowledge.
Ultimately, Pence’s latest tirade reveals a politician struggling desperately to remain relevant after a humiliating primary defeat in 2024. Having alienated grassroots conservatives by turning against Trump in the aftermath of January 6th, Pence now seeks redemption among media elites who despise the MAGA movement. CNN is all too happy to give Pence a platform, praising him as some sort of “principled Republican” while ignoring that the base abandoned him long ago precisely because they saw through his hollow platitudes and lack of real backbone.
Donald Trump’s second term is not a departure from his first—it’s the evolution and fulfillment of his original promise. The President is finally free to govern boldly, unburdened by timid advisors like Pence, who counseled compromise over conviction and caution over courage. The American people chose Trump again precisely because they want decisive action on border security, economic nationalism, education reform, and an end to endless overseas wars. Pence’s criticisms are nothing more than sour grapes from a man who failed to recognize that MAGA is bigger than any one politician.
It’s time Mike Pence accepted reality: Trump’s America First agenda isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s stronger and more necessary today than ever before. Pence may continue his media tour of grievances, but conservatives will keep marching boldly forward with a leader who isn’t afraid to put America first.
