Former Vice President Mike Pence is living in a fantasy world if he thinks President Trump hasn't fundamentally transformed the Republican Party into a true America First movement that actually fights for working-class Americans.
In comments to Fox News promoting his latest book – because apparently failed politicians always write books nobody reads – Pence claimed Trump only "upended some aspects" of the GOP agenda but "hasn't really changed the Republican Party." This is the same Mike Pence who stabbed Trump in the back on January 6th and then watched his own presidential campaign crash and burn spectacularly.
Here's a reality check for Mike: The Republican Party before Trump was a collection of establishment RINOs who talked tough during campaign season but rolled over for Democrats once they got to Washington. Remember how well that worked out with McCain and Romney?
"Preserving conservative principles amid rising GOP populism is the calling of my life," Pence said, apparently positioning himself as some kind of principled conservative hero.
What Pence calls "rising GOP populism" is actually what happens when a political party starts representing the people who vote for them instead of corporate donors and D.C. swamp creatures. Trump didn't just change "some aspects" of the GOP – he completely rebuilt it from the ground up into a movement that puts America First.
The numbers don't lie: Trump's decisive 2024 victory and the current Republican control of government happened precisely because the party embraced his agenda of secure borders, fair trade deals, and draining the swamp. Meanwhile, Pence's own presidential campaign barely registered in the polls before he was forced to drop out in humiliation.
The American people have already decided which vision of the Republican Party they want. It's not the failed establishment conservatism that gave us endless wars and shipped our jobs to China. It's Trump's America First agenda that's currently being implemented by the Trump-Vance Administration with officials like Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and the rest of the team actually delivering results.
Maybe instead of writing books nobody will read, Pence should take a long look in the mirror and ask himself why his brand of "conservative principles" couldn't even win over Republican primary voters. The party has moved on, Mike – and it's winning without you.