Former Vice President Mike Pence is attempting to maintain influence within the Republican Party by openly criticizing Donald Trump, though this strategy may not resonate with Trump’s core MAGA supporters.

During a CNN interview, anchor Kate Bolduan asked Pence about Trump’s recent stance on Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pence expressed support for Trump’s tougher posture toward Putin.

He suggested that Republican “isolationists” had recently lost influence over Trump, especially after opposing U.S. actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The discussion shifted to reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had paused U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine without informing the president. Trump himself told CNN he was unaware of who halted the shipments.

Pence acknowledged that in a large government, decisions are often made at multiple levels, but he described this particular situation as troubling and likely concerning to Trump as well.

He said he expected Trump to investigate who initiated the pause but emphasized that the more important development was the decision to resume aid to Ukraine.

Pence also urged continued support for Ukraine, including both defensive and offensive military assistance, arguing that such aid is necessary to achieve lasting peace.

Separately, Pence has criticized Trump for comments made in Saudi Arabia that questioned past U.S. interventions in the Middle East, calling those remarks disrespectful to American service members and reaffirming his intention to remain a “constructive force” within the conservative movement.