Former Vice President Mike Pence slammed his former boss, Donald Trump, over his confusing tariff strategy and called for free trade to lower the cost of goods, Politico reports.
Pence was responding to comments made by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in defense of the Trump administration’s tariff policy.
“Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American Dream,” Bessent said in a speech from New York on Thursday.
Pence pushed back in a post on X, writing, “Actually [Secretary Bessent] it is. Tariffs are good as a means to bring nations like China to the table, but free trade lowers the costs of goods and improves the quality of life for every American.”
“Let’s Pursue Free Trade with Free Nations and Revive the American Dream,” he added.
Pence’s comments come amid Trump’s on again, off again tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports. The White House now says they plan to move forward on reciprocal tariffs on imports beginning in April.
