Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized President Donald Trump during an interview on Sunday for remarks he made during his tour of the Middle East.
I've never been a fan of American presidents criticizing America on foreign soil," Pence said.
What Happened: Speaking to NBC, Pence said "To have the president in Saudi Arabia questioning America's global war on terror, and describing it as nation-building and interventionist, I thought was a disservice to generations of Americans who wore the uniform and who took the fight to our enemy, you know, in Afghanistan and in Iraq,"
He added: "And particularly giving that speech in Saudi Arabia, where 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers hailed from — not including Osama bin Laden, I thought was unfortunate."
Pence's comments were made in response to Trump's rhetoric about past military operations in the Middle East.
"The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called nation-builders, neocons or liberal nonprofits like those who spent trillions and trillions of dollars failing to develop Kabul, Baghdad, so many other cities," Trump said. "Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves."
Trump also praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite U.S. intelligence linking him to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. "He's an incredible man. I've known him a long time now. There's nobody like him," Trump said. "I like him a lot. I like him too much."
See Also: Treasury Secretary Bessent Addresses Moody’s Downgrade and Tariff Impact on Walmart
Why It Matters: Pence's differences with Trump previously came to the forefront over the 2020 election certification and the January 6 riots in the Capitol. He also commented on Trump’s tariff policy earlier this month, warning that it could lead to a "price shock" in the economy and potentially cause shortages.
In April, he wrote an op-ed evaluating Trump's first 100 days of his second term, lauding his "political comeback unrivaled in modern American history.”
Despite critiquing Trump’s rhetoric in the Middle East, Pence admitted that Trump's trip had economic significance and praised the potential effects on the American job market.
"The president secured financial commitments in all three countries, including a historic contract for purchasing Boeing aircraft that'll really support American jobs," he said.
Read Next:
Photo courtesy: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
