‘Not a win for the American people’: Pence warns Trump’s tariffs will cause ‘price shock’

Former Vice President Mike Pence has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s economic policies for his second term, especially the president’s wide-ranging tariff plan. Pence warns that these tariffs will cause a major “price shock” for American consumers, leading to shortages and ultimately hurting the US economy.

His criticisms, shared in an interview with CNN, are some of his most detailed objections to the current administration. Pence’s main worry is about the economic effects of Trump’s broad tariffs, which apply to both allies and rivals. He argues that this is very different from the focused tariff strategy used during Trump’s first term, when tariffs were aimed at specific countries to address unfair trade practices.

Instead of this targeted approach, Pence believes the current administration is pushing a kind of “new industrial policy” that will cause inflation, hurting consumers and the economy overall. According to Pence, the administration itself has admitted that when the current 90-day halt on mutual tariffs ends, prices will likely rise, and some goods will become harder to find.

Pence is against Trump’s tariffs

Pence’s warning about a “price shock” is not just a guess. He points to Trump’s own remarks downplaying the possible effects, such as suggesting that children might have fewer toys that cost a little more, as proof that the administration is not taking the economic risks seriously enough. Pence argues that affordable goods are essential for American families and that keeping everyday items within reach is part of the “American dream.”

Pence said, “I do have a concern that when the so-called 90 day pause comes off, that even the administration has conceded that there may be a price shock in the economy, and there may be shortages.” He predicts that people will eventually see the harm caused by this policy and demand a change.

Pence’s criticism goes beyond just economics. He clearly separates his own support for free trade from Trump’s approach. While he acknowledges some successes in trade deals during Trump’s first term, like renegotiating agreements with Canada and Mexico and placing targeted tariffs on Chinese imports, he says he believes in “free trade with free nations.”

He wants free-world trading partners to work together to lower trade barriers. This is very different from Trump’s broader tariff strategy, which Pence sees as careless and harmful to the US. Beyond economic policy, Pence has also disagreed with other key parts of Trump’s second term.

He said he was deeply disappointed by Trump’s decision to pardon over 1,600 people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, calling it “the wrong message.” This is especially meaningful for Pence, who faced threats from rioters that day while doing his constitutional duty to confirm the 2020 election results. He specifically said he was troubled by the pardons for those who attacked police officers.

Pence also criticized the administration’s inconsistent position on the war in Ukraine. He directly disagreed with Trump’s repeated claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace, saying Putin’s actions show he wants Ukrainian land. Pence believes that the administration’s uncertain support for Ukraine has encouraged Russia and worries that without strong US backing, Russia may become even more aggressive.

This clashes with Pence’s belief in a strong US role in global affairs and his support for sending military aid to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion. He also criticized Trump’s idea of annexing Canada, stressing the importance of the long-standing US-Canada alliance.