Pence Team Starts Attacking Trump

A high-profile conservative organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence is sounding the alarm over President Trump’s latest tariff policy—raising concerns about the financial impact on rural America, small businesses, and American farmers.

Advancing American Freedom, a policy group dedicated to preserving conservative economic values, launched a six-figure national ad campaign this week targeting the administration’s sweeping new tariffs. These tariffs—set to begin Wednesday—could have unintended consequences for working-class families and longtime farm owners across the heartland.

Iowa Farmer: “We’re Already Struggling—Tariffs Could Push Us Over the Edge”

The campaign’s first ad features Iowa farmer Dennis Campbell, a sixth-generation grower, who offers a sobering message from the fields of middle America.

“Family farms like mine are already under pressure,” Campbell says. “These tariffs will drive up costs, cut into profits, and could cause foreclosures on farms that have been in families for generations. We need fair trade, not higher taxes on American agriculture.”

This kind of rural economic pressure is all too familiar to older Americans and retirees in farming communities, where the rising cost of living and shrinking profit margins are daily concerns.

Economic Warning Signs: Are New Tariffs a Hidden Tax Hike?

The Trump administration’s latest trade move includes a 10% baseline tariff on all foreign imports, with steeper “reciprocal tariffs” on countries like China, Japan, South Korea, India, and members of the European Union. The tariffs go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

Despite growing concerns from within the Republican Party, President Trump has remained firm, arguing that over 70 countries are now eager to negotiate fairer deals. However, financial markets have shown signs of unease, and some GOP lawmakers are privately urging a course correction.

Former Vice President Pence, who has increasingly charted his own path since leaving office, didn’t mince words in a recent statement. He called the tariffs “the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history.”

Back to Basics: Tax Cuts, Deregulation, and the Trump-Pence Formula for Growth

Tim Chapman, President of Advancing American Freedom, emphasized that while his group respects President Trump’s commitment to putting America first, there’s a better path forward—one rooted in the policies that fueled the economic boom of Trump’s first term.

“These tariffs risk hurting the very people we set out to protect—American workers, farmers, and families,” Chapman said. “It’s time to double down on the conservative formula that worked: historic tax cuts, deregulation, and economic freedom. We urge Congress and the White House to act quickly and restore what made the Trump economy strong.”

Rural America Watches Closely as Policy Shifts Take Hold

For America’s farmers, ranchers, and small-town business owners—especially those nearing retirement or already on fixed incomes—the stakes are high. Rising input costs, shrinking export markets, and uncertain financial futures are creating real anxiety in conservative heartland communities.

As this policy debate unfolds, many are asking: Will Washington listen before more family farms are lost?