Former Vice President Mike Pence is warning that the Republican Party is moving away from its traditional conservative roots, arguing that a growing “populist right” faction poses a significant challenge to the principles that have guided the party for decades.

Speaking Wednesday on CNN’s “News Central,” Pence said many Americans, particularly those in agricultural communities, remain concerned about the economic impact of broad tariff policies and rising costs.

“There’s concern in the heartland, particularly on the farm, for the impact of broad based tariffs, the rising input costs for farmers and, I expect Republicans will take all of that to heart. And, I hope what they do, as I argue in my book, is return our party to the consistent advocacy of the conservative agenda. This define the Republican movement for the last 50 years.”

Pence said he wrote his new book in part to alert Americans to what he sees as an ideological shift within the conservative movement itself.

“I wanted people to know around the country that, a new threat to conservatism has emerged from within our movement. And it’s, I call it the populist right. And essentially advances policies of protectionism, isolationism, marginalizing traditional values. And, and while they’ve had some success prevailing on the second Trump administration, not all, I think the second Trump administration has gotten a lot right. Secured the border, extended all those Trump Pence, tax cuts, stood up to Iran, stood with Israel but when you look at when you look at the stops and starts on Ukraine, by this administration, when you look at, the, you know, voices on the outside that have even questioned our support for Israel and the economic policies, nationalization of businesses, broad based tariffs against friend and foe alike, price controls. I wanted to write a book that it was about what conservatives believe in the hopes that in the midterms and in 2028, we return our party to those founding principles.”

While praising several accomplishments of President Trump’s current administration, Pence expressed concern about policy directions he believes are inconsistent with long-standing Republican views on free markets and limited government.

He specifically pointed to proposals that would involve greater federal participation in private enterprise and said such ideas would have been unthinkable in earlier Republican administrations.

“This new cabinet that, new voices, I mean, the idea of, of literally having the federal government take a percentage share of American businesses, would have, I think, never even been discussed in the first Trump administration. Republicans have always believed in and limited government in free market economics and free enterprise. Those policies, big government policies that have made their way into this administration.”

Pence’s remarks reflect an ongoing debate within Republican circles over the party’s future direction, as competing factions vie for influence ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.