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Pence Challenges Trump: Conservative Rift Reshapes GOP Future

12/28/2025

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump faces a conservative rift as former Vice President Mike Pence shifts toward a Reaganite stance that challenges Trump's influence within the Republican Party.
More than a dozen Heritage Foundation staffers defected to Pence's Advancing American Freedom.
Trump's grip on the GOP remains strong, while Pence pursues his political ambitions amid the shift.
The future direction of the Republican Party may hinge on the 2026 midterm elections.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump faces a conservative rift as former Vice President Mike Pence shifts toward a Reaganite stance that challenges Trump's influence within the Republican Party.
More than a dozen Heritage Foundation staffers defected to Pence's Advancing American Freedom.
Trump's grip on the GOP remains strong, while Pence pursues his political ambitions amid the shift.
The future direction of the Republican Party may hinge on the 2026 midterm elections.