By Brian Freeman | Sunday, 31 May 2026 06:40 PM EDT
In the aftermath of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s GOP Senate primary victory, former Vice President Mike Pence told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that his party has lost its way, but Democrats have lost their minds.
When asked whom he would support in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Texas, Pence said: “I have great confidence in Republicans in Texas and maintaining the majority in the Senate is enormously important in a midterm election.”
The former vice president stressed: “If I was voting in Texas, I could never vote for the Democrat nominee, [Rep. James] Talarico, who is a radical left, supports abortion on demand, embrace the radical gender ideology of the Democratic Party.”
Pence added: “In many respects Republicans have lost our way, but Democrats have lost their mind. And I think the reason why we’re going to hold the Senate, and we have a real shot to hold the House, is because of the extremism on the Democratic side.”
He said: “You literally have candidates, not just the mayor of New York, but some of the most prominent voices in the party, that are openly advocating for socialist policies and socialism itself.”
Pence praised President Donald Trump for such policies as securing the nation’s border and extending tax cuts.
But he also slammed many of the administration’s other policies: “When you see an administration with broad-based tariffs, nationalizing American businesses, questioning and pulling back from our allies as they endure the brutal assault in Eastern Europe from Russia, I think that Republicans would do well to take some time to reflect on what we believe again, and take that message to the American people.”
