Pence Knocks Trump on Tariffs, Russia, and Jan. 6 Pardons in CNN Sit-Down With Kaitlan Collins
Former Vice President Mike Pence knocked President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda in a wide-ranging interview Monday during which he directly rebuked the current administration’s policies, from sweeping tariff proposals to posturing on Russia, and January 6 pardons.
Pence sat down with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins one day after he accepted the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
“I do think this version of tariff policy that’s broad-based, indiscriminate, applies tariffs to friend and foe alike, is not a win for the American people,” Pence told Collins at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston.
The former VP warned that Trump’s trade agenda would bring inflation and shortages once a 90-day tariff pause ends.
“There may be a price shock in the economy,” he said, pushing back on Trump’s now-infamous quip that kids may have to settle for “two dolls instead of 30.”
Pence also leveled harsh criticism at Trump’s decision to pardon individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. “I was deeply disappointed,” he said. “It sent the wrong message.”
Pence pointedly distanced himself from Trump’s negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to end the war in Ukraine.
“Putin doesn’t want peace; he wants Ukraine,” Pence said, urging a firmer U.S. stance to support Kyiv and NATO allies.
Pence also criticized Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS, slamming Kennedy as “unacceptable,” citing both his abortion stance and his long history of vaccine skepticism.
While Pence praised parts of the administration’s immigration crackdown and top legal appointments, the interview marked Pence’s clearest effort to date in reasserting an ideological rift between the first-term administration and the current one.
“The way we generate the kind of jobs that will serve America’s security and prosperity is by making the Trump-Pence tax cuts permanent, roll back regulation, lowering the cost of energy across the board and making America the most attractive place in the world to invest and create jobs,” he said.
Watch above via CNN.
