Former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Digital in his first interview since the midterms that he doesn’t agree with the man who has his old job. “I disagree with the vice president about the reasons for the midterm election outcome,” Pence said.
[NOTE: Vance wrote on X the morning after Election Day: “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.”]
Pence says the war wasn’t the problem. Instead he more narrowly blamed the lack of resolution to the conflict, saying: “It’s because we stopped short and didn’t finish it.”
Pence said voters were also upset about the economic impact of the Trump administration’s trade wars, saying: “I believe our voters rejected President Trump’s redirection of our movement toward protectionist tariffs.”
Pence also touched on allegations of corruption related to Trump 2.0, saying: “I don’t think you can ignore the air of corruption that’s emerged around this administration, the self-dealing.”
[NOTE: Exit polls identified the war, high prices and affordability, and concerns about corruption among voters’ priorities.]
Asked about 2028, Pence told Fox he’s hearing from supporters across the country. “I don’t know what the future holds,” he said, but he was certain the election results revealed that “this version of Republicanism was just rejected by the American people.”
Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, answered for the administration. He said Pence’s “total and complete lack of courage caused untold damage to our great country.” Fox quoted what it identified as an ally of Vance calling Pence “laughably out of touch with how people feel in the real world.”
On Friday, Pence re-emphasized his view that the power to tariff “resides with ‘We the People!’”
Great Turnout for the Boston @AmericanFreedom “Free Trade and the American Experiment” Conference yesterday! Our Founders Ensured that under Our Constitution, the Power to Tax, the Power to Tariff, Resides with “We the People!”Time to Get Back to Free Trade with Free Nations!
To Learn More, Go To https://t.co/Il2YdMtoxM
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) November 13, 2026