Former Vice President Mike Pence is continuing to publicly challenge his former running mate, Donald Trump, though the criticism is unlikely to win him favor among Trump’s loyal supporters within the Republican Party. Speaking Sunday on Meet the Press, Pence took issue with remarks Trump delivered during a speech in Riyadh while on a recent trip to the Middle East. In that address, Trump criticized past U.S. military interventions, arguing that Western “nation-builders” often caused more harm than progress in places such as Kabul and Baghdad.
Trump said that interventionist policies had cost trillions of dollars while failing to stabilize many countries involved in the war on terror. The president emphasized that the growth of modern cities like Riyadh and Abu Dhabi came largely from local leadership rather than outside intervention. Pence disagreed with how the criticism was delivered, saying American presidents should avoid questioning U.S. policy while speaking abroad. He argued that such remarks could diminish the sacrifices made by American troops.
“I’ve never been a fan of American presidents criticizing America on foreign soil,” Pence said during the interview with NBC host Kristen Welker. He described Trump’s comments as a disservice to generations of Americans who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pence also pointed out that the speech took place in Saudi Arabia, noting that most of the hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks were Saudi nationals. Despite the criticism, Pence said Trump’s broader regional trip—including visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—was largely successful.
