Former Vice President Mike Pence Has a Lot of Thoughts About President Donald Trump

From November 2022 until January 2025, Jack Smith served as Special Counsel for the Department of Justice. One of his jobs as special counsel was investigating the January 6 attacks, which involved speaking with former Vice President Mike Pence. According to ABC News, sources said that in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, when Pence was presiding over Congress certifying the election results, the vice president wasn't sure he was going to go. He was worried about hurting his friend.

The friend in question was of course Donald Trump, who remains convinced despite a lack of any evidence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Pence ultimately decided that it was his duty to show up and insisted that his loyalty to Trump never wavered. After Pence certified the election, Trump turned on him fairly quickly and made him into an enemy. Does Pence like Trump now? Here's what we know.

Although Pence has never come right out and said whether or not he likes his former boss, he is fine with criticizing his second term. On May 4, 2025, Pence received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his actions on Jan. 6 and in particular for standing up to Trump. Although he never mentioned the president by name, Pence made sure to mention the Constitution and how it binds all of America.

Pence also spoke of "these divided times" as well as "anxious days," admitting that while he probably didn't agree with every Democrat in the room, he was also not aligned with all Republicans. When it comes to spending and tariffs, Pence said he believes "America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured." He also doubled down on his decision to uphold the Constitution on Jan. 6.

The day after accepting his award, Pence sat down with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, where he commented on a few things the president has said and done since taking office a second time. He once again expressed his concern about Trump's tariffs and said a lack of support for Ukraine was a break from their first administration. When it came to Trump pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters, Pence said he was "deeply disappointed" in the president. "I thought it sent the wrong message," he said.

In his interview with CNN, the former vice president said one of his goals is to try and be a consistent voice for conservative values that he believes are right for the Republican party. Pence also believes these values will help create a "boundless future for the American people."

According to Pence's Instagram, he is still a man of the people. He frequently posts about speaking engagements whether it's at the 2024 Dispatch Summit or at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. Regarding Trump, in April 2025, Pence wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal titled "What the 47th President Can Learn From the 45th."