Former Vice President Mike Pence launched a sharp critique of his own party's direction, saying Republicans have "lost our way" by nominating Ken Paxton for a major position, even as he delivered equally harsh judgment on the opposing party.
Pence's comments mark a notable moment of party self-examination from a figure who spent eight years in the Trump administration. While delivering his criticism of Republican choices, he did not spare Democrats, contending they have "lost their mind."
The former vice president also weighed in on other matters affecting the GOP's direction. He called a Department of Justice anti-weaponization fund "deeply offensive" and labeled it a "bad idea," signaling his continued concerns about how the party is handling governance and institutional matters.
His remarks come at a moment when the Republican Party continues to navigate its identity in the post-Trump era, with figures like Pence seeking to articulate a vision rooted in what they view as core conservative principles. The Paxton nomination appears to represent, in Pence's view, a departure from that foundational approach.
Pence's willingness to criticize his former party's choices publicly underscores the tensions within Republican circles over the direction of the movement and the standards for nominee selection. His simultaneous criticism of Democrats suggests he sees problems across both major parties, though he appears to view the Republican misstep as a failure of principle rather than ideology.
The former vice president has positioned himself as a voice advocating for what he considers traditional conservative values, distinct from what he sees as a more populist or unconventional approach that has gained traction within Republican ranks in recent years.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Pence's split-the-difference criticism does little to resolve the GOP's actual problem: he's complaining from the outside while the party he helped build moves in a direction he can't stop."
Comments