Pence argued populism and progressivism “…are fellow travelers on the same road to ruin” while accusing former President Trump of abandoning conservative principles in his 2024 bid to retake the White House. In another swipe at Trump, Pence said: “Truth is, the Republican Party did not begin on a golden escalator in 2015.”
The former Vice President, who served in Trump’s presidential administration, has emerged one of the Republican frontrunner’s harshest critics since declaring his own candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Pence has focused his campaign on an aggressive push to restore the Republican Party’s support for pro-globalist policies like free-trade, open-borders, and reckless foreign military interventions.
Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker and Trump ally, questioned Pence’s decision to criticize the populist movement: “Why would you attack populism if you’re trying to be the Republican nominee?… I mean, it’s now the base of the party.” Pence has so far struggled to gain any momentum for his presidential campaign and is yet to consistently poll any higher than single digits.