EXCLUSIVE — Former Vice President Mike Pence offered a pointed assessment of Republicans’ midterm losses, arguing the party’s embrace of President Donald Trump’s populist agenda, from tariffs to its approach to foreign policy, helped drive voters away.
In a video interview with the Washington Examiner’s Peter Laffin, Pence said Republicans should view the election not simply as a political defeat but as a warning that the party has strayed from the conservative principles that once made it successful.
Here are some of Pence’s key takeaways from the election and his assessment of the Republican Party’s direction:
Pence’s 2026 midterm election analysis
Pence said the GOP must see the election as a warning that abandoning its core conservative values carries a political cost.
He described himself as “heartbroken” by the outcome of the midterm elections, with Democrats sweeping both chambers of Congress with significant majorities. But the former vice president said Republicans’ poor performance was a response to the Trump administration’s record.
“Last week’s midterms was not just a rout; it was a reckoning,” Pence said. “The … American people didn’t turn left; they were turned off.
Pence pointed to Trump’s protectionist economic policies and “appeasement” toward Russia and Iran, the marginalization of the right to life, and concerns about self-dealing and corruption within the administration as factors that alienated voters.
He argued Republicans could recover by returning to an agenda centered on a strong national defense, U.S. leadership abroad, fiscal responsibility, limited government, and traditional conservative values.
Pence, who served as vice president during Trump’s first administration, said Republicans had faced a similar setback in 2006, when Democrats took control of the House under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He argued the party eventually regained its footing by returning to its conservative roots.
Finishing the fight with Iran
Pence said he supported Trump’s decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities but criticized the administration for halting military operations before achieving what he considers a lasting victory.
He praised the military’s performance during Operation Epic Fury, citing the destruction of Iranian naval capabilities, the establishment of air superiority, and strikes against thousands of military targets. But he said the subsequent pause in operations and negotiations with Tehran left voters questioning the administration’s endgame.
“I think the concern the American people had was not that we went, it’s that we haven’t finished for some reason,” Pence said.
He argued the administration’s decision to pursue an agreement with Iran amounted to appeasement and said Trump should consult military leaders about a plan to resume operations.
Pence also invoked former President George W. Bush’s decision to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after Republicans suffered major losses in the 2006 midterm elections, leaving any possible personnel changes to Trump.
Pence also pushed back on Vice President JD Vance’s suggestion that the Iran conflict contributed to Republicans’ losses. Rather, Pence argued that voters largely supported the initial military campaign. Instead, he said, the administration’s decision to stop after weeks of military success and pursue negotiations contributed to frustration.
Tariffs and the cost of protectionism
Pence blamed Trump’s sweeping tariff policies for contributing to the affordability concerns that became a central issue in the midterm elections.
He described the administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs as the largest peacetime tax increase in American history, arguing that the costs ultimately fell on American businesses and consumers rather than foreign governments.
“Tariffs are taxes, and American tariffs are paid by American businesses and American families, not by foreign countries,” Pence said.
He also criticized the administration’s use of exemptions and waivers, arguing the process benefited large corporations with access to Washington lobbyists while leaving smaller businesses to shoulder the costs.
Pence said the policy created an opportunity for political insiders to profit from the same system Trump had campaigned against in 2016 with his promise to “drain the swamp.”
“Tariffs unquestionably … were a drag on our economy,” Pence said. “They put a burden on American businesses. It costs American jobs, but it was a boom for lobbyists in Washington, D.C.”
He also questioned Trump’s authority to impose tariffs unilaterally, pointing to the Constitution’s assignment of tariff powers to Congress. Pence said his organization, Advancing American Freedom, was challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s latest tariffs in court.
While he called for a tougher trade posture toward China, Pence advocated free trade with other allied nations, arguing economic freedom should remain central to the Republican agenda.
Stephen Miller’s new role in the West Wing
Pence said he hoped Stephen Miller’s appointment as White House chief of staff would bring a broader range of perspectives into Trump’s inner circle. Miller, who has been credited as the architect of Trump’s immigration policies and served as a top West Wing adviser during Trump’s first term, was appointed as the president’s top staffer shortly after the midterm elections, ousting Susie Wiles.
Drawing on his own experience working in the West Wing, Pence said presidents should be free to choose the advisers they want. But he urged Miller to ensure Trump hears from voices outside the populist wing of the Republican Party.
Pence specifically pointed to tariffs, the nationalization of U.S. businesses, and what he described as encroachments on economic freedom as policies that contributed to Republicans’ struggles.
“My hope is that in his new role as chief of staff, that we’ll see Stephen Miller really bringing a broad range of voices before the president,” Pence said.
He added that he hoped the administration would learn the right lessons from the election and reconsider its economic direction.
The Republican Party’s road to 2028
Despite the midterm losses, Pence said his immediate concern was ensuring Republicans win the presidency in 2028, warning that a Democrat-controlled Congress and White House could fundamentally reshape the federal government.
But he cautioned against rushing into speculation about possible presidential candidates, arguing the party first needs to settle on what it stands for.
Pence said his work through Advancing American Freedom, his think tank, and his book, What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience, focuses on making the case for a return to traditional conservative principles before the party begins choosing its next standard-bearer.
He warned that Republicans face their own ideological challenges, just as Democrats have moved further toward the progressive left.
Pence criticized the rise of isolationism, protectionism, and efforts to marginalize social conservative priorities, including the right to life. He argued the party must reclaim the broader conservative coalition that defined its identity from the Reagan administration through Trump’s first term.
“We need to go back to the principles and values that not only made our party successful, but always made America strong and prosperous and free,” he said.
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Asked about his own political future, Pence declined to offer any indication of whether he would seek office again, saying his focus was on using his experience to influence the next generation of conservatives.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” Pence said. “But I can tell you, hand to the Bible, that my focus entirely is on using my lifetime of experience and whatever notoriety we have to make the case, particularly to the rising generation, about how important it is to return our movement and our party to the principle of a strong defense, fiscal responsibility, limited government, and the right to life.”