WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized President Donald Trump’s second administration in a May 2026 interview, saying it has “departed” from traditional conservative principles. Pence argued the administration is no longer committed to “the conservative agenda that has defined the Republican Party since the days of Ronald Reagan, and before that an agenda of American leadership, limited government, free market economics, the right to life.”
Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president from 2017 to 2021, acknowledged Trump’s enduring popularity among Republican voters. “I don’t think there’s any question about the president’s popularity. I give him all the credit in the world for the hold that he has on Republican voters.” He added that “on a number of those issues, the president’s been good” in the past.
He expressed concern that the administration’s direction could affect Republican prospects in the upcoming midterm elections, asserting any GOP success would stem from Democratic “extremism” rather than conservative fidelity. “I think in many respects Republicans have lost our way, but Democrats have lost their mind, and I think the reason why we’re going to hold the Senate, and we have a real shot to hold the House, is because of the extremism on the Democratic side,” he said, citing the Texas Senate race as an example.
Pence criticized the administration’s stance on abortion, saying it has sought to relegate the right-to-life issue to the states while appointing a “pro-abortion secretary of HHS who has done nothing to limit the availability of the abortion pill.” He also condemned the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization fund,” which includes nearly $1.8 billion for individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by federal authorities. A federal judge temporarily blocked the fund last week.
Calling the fund “a bad idea from the start,” Pence urged the administration to abandon it. He described as “deeply offensive” the possibility that Jan. 6 rioters—some of whom assaulted police or vandalized the Capitol—could receive compensation from the program. “I mean it’s deeply offensive to me that you could have a fund that could even possibly compensate people who assaulted police officers or vandalized the Capitol on Jan. 6, and I think that’s broadly held by most Republicans and most Americans.”
Pence argued that core MAGA supporters still embrace traditional conservative values, including opposition to nationalization, price controls, and broad-based tariffs. He said if Republicans “hold up those time-honored conservative principles” in the fall and in 2028, “those voters will rally to our cause.”