Former Vice President Mike Pence is speaking out against President Donald Trump’s large tariffs on other countries, calling them “the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history.”
Pence, who worked alongside Trump during his first term, posted on the social media platform X after Trump’s recent announcement about the tariffs. He warned that the new tariffs are almost ten times larger than those from the Trump-Pence administration and could cost American families over $3,500 a year.
“The Trump Tariff Tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” Pence said. “These Tariffs are nearly 10x the size of those imposed during the Trump-Pence Administration and will cost American families over $3,500 per year.”
According to data from his group, Advancing American Freedom, Pence argued that these tariffs and the uncertainty they bring could lead to more job losses. The group also pointed to a recent poll by YouGov and Yahoo that showed Trump’s approval rating on the economy had dropped to just 39 percent.
Trump’s Wednesday announcement of steep tariffs on over 100 countries has raised concerns about a global trade war, sending financial markets into a downward spiral.
While Pence, who ran in the 2024 GOP presidential primary but lost, has supported much of Trump’s agenda, he has disagreed with Trump on foreign policy and tariffs. Pence is one of the few prominent Republicans who have publicly criticized Trump’s approach, which he says goes too far compared to the more focused tariffs during Trump’s first term. Most other Republicans have supported Trump’s policies, arguing any temporary pain will be worth the long-term benefits.
In response, some senators introduced bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would give Congress more control over how tariffs are applied to other countries.
