Former Vice President Mike Pence has criticized President Donald Trump‘s departure from conservative principles, expressing concern over the shift towards populist policies.
Pence voiced his disapproval of Trump’s ideological shift in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. He identified Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results as an early sign of his “newfound populism merging with progressivism and its hostility to constitutional order.”
The former Vice President noted that Trump, during his campaign for re-election in 2024, moved away from conservatism. He cited Trump’s remarks, where he declared, “You know, people say, ‘You’re conservative.’ I’m not conservative. You know what I am? I’m a man of common sense.”
In CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” on Sunday, Pence admitted that the Republican party has “lost” its way under Trump, but he also took a shot at the Democrats, stating they “have lost their minds.” He attributed the potential for Republicans to retain the Senate and possibly the House to the “extremism on the Democratic side.”
Pence also expressed worry about prominent voices in the Democratic party advocating for socialist policies, indicating a shift in the political landscape.
Debate Grows Over GOP Identity
Pence’s criticism of Trump’s shift in political ideology is significant, given his previous working relationship with Trump in his first term. In February, Pence publicly backed a Supreme Court ruling that blocked Trump’s tariff policy, reinforcing constitutional limits and highlighting divisions within the Republican Party.
However, the former Vice President has also defended Trump on several occasions. In January, Pence had stood by Trump’s controversial plan to acquire Greenland, citing national security interests.
Echoing Pence, Economist Peter Schiff last month argued that the Republican Party has lost its fiscal conservative identity under Trump, claiming the U.S. now effectively has “two Democratic parties.”
After Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) lost his Republican primary to a Trump-backed challenger, Ken Paxton, Schiff said the GOP no longer functions as a traditional center-right party focused on limited government and spending restraint. He contended that both major parties now support different forms of big-government policies with their “own brand of socialism.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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