Former Vice President Mike Pence took aim at Vice President JD Vance over his explanation for Republicans’ midterm defeat, arguing that the administration’s failure to finish the war in Iran contributed to voter frustration. Pence also criticized President Donald Trump’s economic policies and questioned Vance’s statements concerning Israel. The former vice president delivered those attacks while leaving open the possibility of another presidential campaign in 2028.
Pence spoke in his first interview following the 2026 midterm elections, which handed Democrats a large House majority, control of the Senate and a majority of the nation’s governorships. Trump’s first-term vice president argued that Republicans had departed from the traditional conservative principles needed to win elections. His criticism extended to tariffs, the administration’s handling of abortion medication and the first family’s growing wealth.
Vance had addressed the Republican defeat in an X post the morning after Election Day. “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he wrote. The vice president also cited an unnamed pollster who said voters who abandoned Republicans wanted the administration to end the conflict, address inflation and living costs, put America first and change its relationship with Israel.
In his interview with Fox News Digital, which reported the exchange, Pence said, “I disagree with the vice president about the reasons for the midterm election outcome.” He continued, “There’s no question that the war in Iran became a frustration for millions of Americans, but it wasn’t because President Trump started the war or took on Iran. It’s because we stopped short and didn’t finish it.” Pence added, “As Americans saw the politics of appeasement that the administration embraced, one negotiation after another, I think people became… frustrated with the lack of progress, frustrated with the price of fuel at the pump.”
Pence also said he had “great concerns about what I’ve heard coming out of the vice president’s office with regard to Israel.” A Vance ally responded to those criticisms in comments to the outlet. “Former Vice President Pence had to retreat into the think tank world because his politics never developed past the Bush-era neocon warmongering that dragged us into the Middle East in the first place. He is laughably out of touch with how people feel in the real world.”
Turning to the first family’s finances, Pence alleged, “I don’t think you can ignore the air of corruption that’s emerged around this administration, the self-dealing.” He claimed the family’s wealth had increased by more than $3 billion, including more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency. Asked whether he believed Trump and his family had improperly profited from the presidency, however, Pence answered, “I wouldn’t have any way of knowing and wouldn’t care to speculate.”
See Pence’s interview here:
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Fox News Digital also reported that Pence was leaving open another presidential bid after saying in September that he had “no plans” to seek elected office in 2028. “We’ve been hearing from a lot of people around the country. I’ve been very humbled by that,” he said. Asked whether he could support Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pence answered, “What I’m gonna be looking for is men and women who embrace that historic traditional conservative agenda of the Republican Party.”
The White House responded to Pence’s criticism by pointing to the collapse of his previous presidential campaign. “Mike Pence’s total and complete lack of courage caused untold damage to our great country,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. “If Republican voters cared what Mike Pence had to say, he wouldn’t have had to drop out of the presidential race months before the Iowa caucuses.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.