Mike Pence: US will soon get deserving government
The Interview14 Sep 2025

Mike Pence: US will soon get deserving government

‘I'm very confident that someday soon we're going to have government as good as our people again’

Paddy O’Connell speaks to former US Vice President Mike Pence about President Trump’s second term in office. Pence, whose political career began a quarter of a century ago, first rose to international prominence when he was selected by Donald Trump to be his running mate for the 2016 US Presidential election.

When the insurgent billionaire shocked the world by defeating Hillary Clinton, Pence found himself at the centre of an administration beset by multiple controversies from the very beginning, including having to navigate impeachment proceedings against his boss.

The pair, however, weren’t always aligned in their worldviews, and the relationship became increasingly frayed behind closed doors. Formal ties were severed when Pence resisted efforts by Trump to overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden in 2020.

After leaving the post of Vice-President, Pence remained active in politics in the years that followed, eventually running for the Republican nomination for the 2024 Presidential election. This was, of course, won by his old boss - but Pence refused to endorse him the second time around.

Despite the turbulent four years in office, he remains proud of what he and Trump achieved in that time. However, he can now speak more freely about his former boss, who is back in the White House for a second term.

His experience at the very top of American politics also gives him unique insight into events both at home and abroad. In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses many pressing issues including vaccine scepticism, global tariffs and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you to the Newsnight team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Paddy O’Connell Producers: Ben Cooper, Samuel Kerr, Pascale Puthod and Liz Rawlings Editor: Justine Lang

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Mike Pence. Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Avsnitt(1861)

Vice President of Zimbabwe (2004 – 2014) - Joice Mujuru

Vice President of Zimbabwe (2004 – 2014) - Joice Mujuru

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10 Mars 201722min

Moise Katumbi, opposition politician from the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Adviser to the President of the Palestinian Authority - Husam Zomlot

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8 Mars 201723min

Ukraine's Former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Ukraine's Former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

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6 Mars 201723min

Prime Minister of Singapore - Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister of Singapore - Lee Hsien Loong

Is the much vaunted Singapore model under threat? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sacker is in Singapore for an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore represents one of the great economic success stories of the last fifty years but clouds are gathering on its horizon. President Trump is challenging assumptions about free trade and traditional security alliances in Asia.

3 Mars 201722min

HARDtalk: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore

HARDtalk: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sacker is in Singapore for an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore represents one of the great economic success stories of the last fifty years but clouds are gathering on its horizon. President Trump is challenging assumptions about free trade and traditional security alliances in Asia. Is the much vaunted Singapore model under threat?

3 Mars 201723min

Donald Verrilli, US Solicitor General, 2011-2016

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HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Donald Verrilli, US Solicitor general under Barack Obama. The Trump presidency promises to be a fascinating test of the resilience of the system of government crafted by America's founding fathers. The new president has already criticised the courts for utilising their authority in blocking the so-called travel ban, with a new ban coming into effect imminently. Does the constitution ensure that the White House is always subject to and not above the law?

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Professor Mohammad Marandi - University of Tehran, Iran

Professor Mohammad Marandi - University of Tehran, Iran

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23 Feb 201722min

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