Former Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized former President Donald Trump’s remarks on U.S. foreign policy during a May 2025 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. The comments highlight a persistent divide in Republican thinking over America’s role in the world.
Speaking to host Kristen Welker, Pence addressed Trump’s speech delivered earlier that month at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh. In the address, Trump praised the rapid modernization of Gulf cities such as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. He credited local leadership and the people of the region, arguing that these “gleaming marvels” were not built by outsiders. Trump contrasted this success with past Western efforts, stating that “so-called nation-builders, neocons, or liberal nonprofits” had spent trillions of dollars while failing to transform places like Kabul and Baghdad. He asserted that interventionists had “wrecked far more nations than they built” by meddling in complex societies they did not understand.
Pence acknowledged that Trump’s broader Middle East trip—including stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—delivered positive results for American economic interests and diplomacy. However, he took strong exception to the tone and location of the Riyadh remarks. “I’ve never been a fan of American presidents criticizing America on foreign soil,” Pence said. He added that framing the post-9/11 campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan as mere “nation-building” and “interventionist” efforts was “a disservice to generations of Americans who wore the uniform and who took the fight to our enemy in Afghanistan and in Iraq.”
Pence emphasized the moral and strategic importance of the “global war on terror,” noting the sacrifices made by U.S. service members over two decades. He also pointed out the awkwardness of delivering such criticism in Saudi Arabia, home to 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers.
The exchange underscores an ongoing ideological tension within the GOP. Trump’s “America First” doctrine prioritizes avoiding prolonged overseas entanglements, focusing instead on decisive action that protects U.S. interests without open-ended reconstruction projects. Pence, by contrast, defends a more traditional conservative internationalist view that sees value in robust U.S. leadership and honors the legacy of post-9/11 operations.
While the two former running mates have long differed on aspects of foreign policy, Pence’s measured but firm pushback illustrates that debates over interventionism, military sacrifice, and America’s global posture continue to shape Republican discourse even years after their joint administration.
