Pence breaks with Trump on trade war — and warns 'Americans will demand different'

Former Vice President Mike Pence expressed concern Monday over President Donald Trump’s approach to trade and tariffs, warning of possible economic consequences, including price shocks and product shortages.

The comments came Monday during an exclusive interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, where the former vice president aired several grievances with his ex-boss’s sweeping tariff policy. He also questioned whether Trump is backtracking on a key campaign promise to bring down prices.

“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,” Pence said Monday.

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“What I will give the president credit for is conceding the fact that his tariff policies will raise the cost of goods for consumers,” Pence added, referring to Trump’s admission that items like toys and pencils could become more expensive. “I appreciate him being forthright about that.”

The former vice president advocated for using the threat of tariffs as leverage, not policy, in pursuit of increased trade with allied nations. But he made clear that American consumers could soon feel the repercussions of Trump’s economic strategy.

“There were reports over the weekend of maybe a 35% reduction in the number of imports headed our way across the Pacific,” Pence said. “I think the American people are going to see the consequences of this. I think they'll demand a different approach, and I think that approach is free trade with free nations.”

Watch the video below via CNN or at the link here: