Former Vice President Mike Pence says his current mission is to pull the Republican Party back toward traditional conservative principles, pushing back against populist currents and what he sees as a drift toward big government in the current administration. He argues the party’s core remains intact and is working through his advocacy group to promote fiscal discipline, traditional values, and strong national defense. Pence is also using his new book to lay out that case for conservatives across the country.
Pence describes this effort as deeply personal and urgent, calling it “the calling of my life right now.” He has been building out Advancing American Freedom in Washington to serve as a hub for policy work and messaging. The operation aims to be loud and clear about what the GOP should stand for on economics, family, and national security.
Pence rejects the idea that the Republican Party has been remade beyond recognition, insisting “I’m convinced that while President Trump has changed some aspects of the agenda of the Republican Party, he hasn’t really changed the Republican Party.” He says the contrast between policy shifts and core principles matters, and that conservatives still have a strong organizational and intellectual spine. That distinction shapes how he frames his advocacy.
He gives credit where he thinks it’s due, spotlighting border gains and tax policy wins that trace back to the Trump era. “I’ve been very proud of the fact of what this administration accomplished in securing our border. I was pleased that the administration turned aside from those that were talking about raising taxes on top marginal earners. They extended all the Trump-Pence tax cuts,” he highlighted. Those accomplishments are central to his argument that conservative governance produces real results for families.
At the same time, Pence sharply criticizes what he sees as an embrace of larger government solutions in the current term, calling out price controls, intervention in private companies, and a loosening on life issues. He pressed that “I am hopeful those advising the president are reminding him that it… was the conservative agenda that we governed on in our four years…that led to great prosperity for American families, for our economy and for strength in the world,” Pence said. For him, good policy is more than posture; it is the pathway to prosperity.
Pence also warns about dangerous intellectual trends within the party, arguing “the Republican Party today is experiencing a scourge of some ‘-isms.’ We’ve seen protectionism show itself in unilateral tariffs that the Supreme Court of the United States recently turned back. We’ve seen some voices of isolationism that question our support for Israel, that would leave allies like Ukraine to fend for themselves.” He added, “I think that on the fringe and on the margins, voices of antisemitism in the party all need to be confronted, because none of those things represent what conservatives believe.”
Not everyone agrees with Pence’s take on continuity. “Donald Trump has tremendously altered the makeup of the Republican Party and the issues that it focuses on,” said veteran GOP strategist Ryan Williams, arguing that the electorate and priorities have shifted. Williams went on to say Trump “has altered the voter base of the Republican Party” and taken “the values and trajectory of this party in a different direction… It’s never going back to the way it was before.”
Pence keeps returning to principles as the test of authenticity for the party, repeatedly invoking limited government, free markets, national strength, and the right to life. “It’s been those principles that have guided our party for more than a half a century and have been to the betterment of the American people,” he added. He hopes candidates at all levels will rediscover those touchstones in the years ahead.
With the political environment still rough for the party in power, Pence argues a conservative platform is both principled and practical. He told supporters that pushing that agenda “not only a pathway toward American prosperity and the vitality of freedom, but it’s also a winning agenda.” He is also set to publish a book titled “What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience” that lays out his case in fuller form.
Pence reviewed his recent presidential run as well, saying he tried to counter a strain of populism he felt was unmoored from conservative ideas. “It was clear to me that there’s a portion of the Republican Party today that’s being drawn aside by the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative principles. I spoke out against that as a candidate. Our foundation, Advancing American Freedom, has been championing that conservative agenda and will continue to,” Pence noted. Asked about another White House bid, he said “I will tell you, I’m not a long-term planner,” he answered. “We’ll let the future take care of itself.” He finished by stressing why he remains engaged: “For me, for my family, it really is all about the issues and values that first drew me to the Republican Party. Those are conservative values. And reminding our party and sharing with people across the country what conservatives believe and why it will make America stronger and more prosperous is really the calling of my time.”
