Pence Says an ‘Air of Corruption’ Turned Off GOP Voters and Calls Vance ‘Wrong’ About the Iran War
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that an “air of corruption” around the Trump administration helped drive voters away from Republicans in the midterms, and he said Vice President JD Vance is “wrong” to blame the Iran war.
“It wasn’t just a rout, it was a reckoning,” Pence told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” according to the NBC transcript. “I’m convinced our voters didn’t turn left. I think they were turned off.”
Pence listed tariffs, the national debt, “appeasement” of Russia and Iran and the “marginalizing” of the right to life. He added that “the whole era of self-dealing and corruption around this administration I think had a real impact on our voters.”
When host Kristen Welker asked about a “culture of corruption,” Pence corrected her. “I didn’t say ‘culture of corruption.’ I said there’s — I think the air of corruption,” he said.
He pointed to “one story after another about cabinet officials, family members of cabinet officials” and the president’s family.
“No one begrudges him or the Trump family to continue to be in business,” Pence said. “But a billion-dollar increase in your net worth through cryptocurrency is astounding to Americans.”
The White House has said Trump’s businesses are in a trust managed by his sons and has denied that he is profiting from the presidency, The Independent reported.
‘Vice President Vance Is Wrong’
Pence rejected Vance’s argument that the Iran war cost Republicans the election. “He’s a good man but Vice President Vance is wrong. We didn’t lose this midterm election because of the war,” Pence said.
Instead, Pence argued that voters were frustrated that the U.S. “stopped after five weeks” and began to “embrace the politics of appeasement.” He cited Iran’s continued fire on a U.S. base in Bahrain as proof that Tehran does not feel defeated.
On Nvidia, Pence said CEO Jensen Huang “had to go” after reports of an affair with an alleged Chinese spy. “The American people deserve answers about how and why Nvidia was permitted to transfer our most advanced AI semiconductors,” he said.
Pence also asked why the administration “changed its posture on China so dramatically,” citing TikTok, delayed Taiwan arms sales and looser chip export controls. “I want to understand who, beyond Jensen Huang, was driving that,” he said.
Asked whether Vance is a principled conservative, Pence said, “I don’t know the vice president well enough to answer that question.” He criticized Vance’s past opposition to aid for Ukraine.
Pence did not rule out a 2028 run. “I’m going to leave the future to take care of itself,” he said. Restoring “high standards in public office” will be “just as important” as conservative principles, he added.
Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content syndicated through CDN is available for re-publication without charge under the Creative Commons license. Visit our syndication page for details and requirements.
