Former Vice President Mike Pence has continued to criticize his former running mate, Donald Trump, as he seeks to maintain influence within the Republican Party. His latest comments focused on remarks Trump made during a recent speech in Saudi Arabia, which Pence argued undermined the service of American veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. During an appearance on Meet the Press, Pence responded to statements Trump delivered in Riyadh while addressing U.S. involvement in the Middle East. In the speech, Trump criticized past American military interventions in the region and questioned the effectiveness of Western-led “nation-building” efforts.
Speaking in the Saudi capital, Trump argued that the development of modern cities such as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi was primarily the result of the efforts of local populations rather than Western intervention. He suggested that many international efforts to reshape governments in the region had produced mixed or negative outcomes.
“In the end, the so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built,” Trump said. “The interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.”
Trump has long emphasized a foreign policy approach centered on reducing U.S. involvement in prolonged overseas conflicts. His political platform has frequently highlighted goals such as avoiding “endless wars,” strengthening border security, and pursuing more restrained international engagement.
The president made the remarks during a multi-day trip to the Middle East that included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, the itinerary did not include a stop in Israel, a point raised during the NBC interview.
While Pence described the broader trip as successful, he said he disagreed with Trump’s decision to criticize past U.S. policies while speaking abroad. Pence argued that questioning America’s role in the global war on terrorism during a speech in Saudi Arabia was inappropriate, particularly given the sacrifices made by U.S. service members in conflicts following the September 11 attacks.
