Former Vice President Mike Pence offered a simple message Tuesday for Republican lawmakers who have lost primaries to Trump-backed challengers or decided not to seek reelection: follow your conscience.
Pence, who is promoting his new book "What Conservatives Believe," made the comments in an interview with The Hill as attention intensifies on what role departing GOP legislators might play during the final stretch of this Congress.
"My advice to them is just follow your conscience," Pence said. "I know all of those men well. I served with them, many of them, when I was in the Congress, and of course when I was serving as president of the Senate as vice president. They're honorable men, they're men of integrity, and I'm confident they'll do what they believe is right for the country and right for the cause."
What the Left Is Saying
Critics from across the aisle have pointed to Pence's own experience as a cautionary tale about loyalty within the Republican Party. The former vice president drew Trump's ire after refusing to block certification of the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021, a decision that effectively ended his political future with much of the GOP base.
Some observers argue that Pence's call for conscience-driven decision-making highlights the bind facing Republicans who have found themselves at odds with the administration. The senator most frequently mentioned in this category is Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who announced last year he would not seek another term and has criticized Trump on multiple fronts, including the Justice Department's anti-weaponization fund and funding for the White House ballroom.
Progressive commentators have noted that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) broke with Trump on Monday when he rejected tying the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to an extension of FISA surveillance powers. The split underscored ongoing tensions as Republicans navigate competing priorities heading into the midterm cycle.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative defenders of the administration argue that maintaining Republican majorities in both chambers should be the party's paramount concern, a view Pence echoed during his interview.
"There is literally no cause more important right now than maintaining Republican majorities in the U.S. and the U.S. House," Pence said. "The first midterm election for the party in power in the White House is always difficult."
Pence warned that Democratic control would have sweeping consequences. "If they take the House of Representatives, that will mean that essentially the ability to make progress on these principles is over, but if they take the Senate, it means that the ability to confirm conservatives to our courts, including to the Supreme Court of the United States, will be immensely difficult," he said.
Supporters of Trump's agenda have pointed to primary victories this cycle as evidence that voters want full alignment with the administration. The departures of Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), along with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), all primaried by Trump-backed challengers, are viewed through this lens.
What the Numbers Show
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a narrow majority in the House. The Cook Political Report rates multiple Senate races as competitive, with Republicans defending seats in states that voted for President Trump in 2024.
Pence's book "What Conservatives Believe" debuted during a period of heightened intraparty debate over the direction of the conservative movement and how far Republican lawmakers should align with White House priorities.
Historical precedent favors the party out of power in midterm elections. The party holding the White House has lost House seats in 20 of the last 22 midterm cycles, according to data compiled by the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
The Bottom Line
Pence's counsel to departing Republicans reflects a broader tension within the GOP between institutionalist conservatives and those aligned with Trump's agenda. Whether lawmakers like Tillis choose to be thorns in the administration's side or defer to party loyalty will be a subplot to watch as Congress works through must-pass legislation before year's end.
The former vice president's emphasis on conscience over party discipline signals that he remains willing to speak publicly about his views, even as those positions cost him standing within much of today's Republican Party. How other departing lawmakers respond to similar pressures could shape legislative outcomes in the final months of this Congress.