Mike Pence on the New Iran Deal, Populism, and the Future of the GOP

Have you ever stopped and thought about what's actually powering your day, the coffee you made this morning, the drive you took to get here, even the device you're listening on it? I'm Tanner Faust, and that's exactly the kind of thing we're going to talk about on the energy tailgate, a podcast from Chevron. I'll be your host inviting guests to discuss big energy topics and what they mean for everyday life, all from the tailgate of our truck. This is the energy tailgate. Listen to and follow the 250 most impactful moments in American history podcast. Add free on Amazon music or just ask Alexa. Alexa, play the podcast. 250 most impactful moments in American history on Amazon music. Also with Amazon Music Unlimited, you can now listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks all in the Amazon Music app. I'm Harris Faulkner. I'm Greg Gutfeld. I'm Janice Dean. And this is the Fox News rundown. Thursday, June 18th, 2026. I'm Dave Anthony. President Trump insists the agreement he worked out with Iran is a great one. But there is concern about economic relief Iran gets before the final nuclear deal is made. I don't get the impression that the Iranian regime thinks they're defeated, and that's why I think at the end of the day, unless they make these commitments, Dave, we ought to unleash our armed forces to convince them otherwise. We speak with former Vice President Mike Pence. I'm Alex Hogan. With the memorandum of understanding on the table in efforts to end the war, how do some Iranian Americans who've led Iran feel about this deal? The worst case scenario for me is that we give up so much in return for a pinky promise from the Islamic regime. And I'm David Marcus. I've got the final word on the Fox News rundown.

It achieves everything we wanted and more. That's what President Trump says about the U.S. Iran deal. Ending the current conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz. and preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. That's what was all about. Speaking at the end of the G7 summit in France, the president says all the leaders there support it. There's no one nation that came to us and said, please, sir, keep dropping bombs on them. Please keep dropping bonds. The stupid people say that. And the president says, it's not the final agreement. It extends the ceasefire for two months, allowing for more nuclear negotiations. It's a memorandum of understanding. If it doesn't get done in 60 days, it's all right. We go back to bombing. You know, I don't want to do that because it's so good. But we might have to. That bombing has come in two operations, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military last year and then again from late February into April of this year. Well, let me begin by saying it's always important to remember that Iran has been a war with America and Israel for 47 years. Mike Pence was President Trump's first vice president in the first administration. And as a new book, we'll also discuss what conservatives believe rediscovering the conservative conscience. I strongly support the president's efforts in Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, and our troops have responded brilliantly. And because of that, because this president has done more to degrade the threat that the Iranian regime has posed to America and our allies in the region, I think he's earned a lot of latitude in negotiating and end to hostilities. But now that we've seen what's in this memorandum of understanding, I have concerns. And for all the world, it smacks of the kind of appeasement that our administration rejected in the Obama-Iran nuclear deal and the kind of appeasement that President Joe Biden sought with the Iranians as well. So, Mr. Vice President, what is it that concerns you the most that we would be conceding in this agreement with Iran? What's not in this agreement is a commitment to verifiably dismantle their nuclear weapons program and forfeit all the technology and uranium associated with it. What's not in this memorandum of understanding is an agreement to dismantle their ballistic missile program. And also, there's no mention in this agreement of ending the decades of support for terrorist proxy organizations across the region that have claimed the lives of American service members, Israeli. and innocent civilians literally for decades. And so I have concerns about what's not in this. And secondly, I have concerns about what's in this memorandum of understanding. To read the language suggests that even without those firm commitments that I think are foundational to any acceptable peace agreement, at the signing of this memorandum of understanding, there will be sanctions relief.

for oil exports for Iran that could literally mean $3 billion a month to what remains of the Iranian regime. There's a pledge to unfreeze Iranian assets if there's just progress in negotiations on the next 60 days. And then, of course, the much talked about $300 billion the United States commits to arrange. from other countries across the region for reconstruction. I think all of that represents a lifeline to an Iranian regime that has never been weaker thanks to our armed forces and the president's decisive leadership as commander-in-chief. I don't get the impression that the Iranian regime thinks they're defeated, and that's why I think at the end of the day, unless they make these commitments, Dave. we ought to unleash our armed forces to convince them otherwise. You devote an entire chapter of your book to Israel, and you start it with a sentence, Israel is our most... cherished ally. They are not really involved in this U.S.-Iran deal. In fact, Iran is demanding that Israel withdraw forces out of Lebanon and stop attacking Hezbollah militants, and Israel hasn't done that, and the attacks apparently still continue in Lebanon as the militants have fired into Israel with rockets and drones and things. So where do you think we are with Israel? They certainly joined us with Operation Epic Fury, but where do you think they've been left in this situation? Well, I've often said, if the world knows nothing else, the world should know this. America stands with Israel. And as we've seen last year and this year, Israel has stood with America. While our European allies have turned a blind eye to President Trump's decision to take the fight directly to the mullahs in Tehran, it's been only Israel. that's been at our side and interestingly other Arab nations across the region that have partnered with us in taking the fight to Iran. But it's one of the aspects of this memorandum of understanding that I have concerns about as well is that there's a commitment in the early paragraphs to ending attacks between the United States and Iran. There's a mention of Lebanon, but there's no mention of Israel. You have warned of the U.S. being isolationist. You've been critical of President Trump with tariffs and fearing that isolationism economically could be something of an effect of that. Yet in the last several months, The U.S. has been out front with what happened with the deposing of Venezuela's leader, Nicholas Maduro, now in the U.S. facing drug charges, with what's happened with Iran and the military action and the deal that we're trying to work out. Do you think that the president is doing the right thing dealing with our enemies? That's another part of your book, standing up to our enemies.

Well, let me be very clear. The president I serve with is no isolationist. But as I wrote in my book, what conservatives believe, when you look at the progressive left, the radical left in this country, they have long questioned America's role as leader of the free world. But there's new pressure coming from what I call the populist right. that would question our historic alliances with free nations around the world question our support for Israel. I think some of the stops and starts in this administration for support for Ukraine are reflective of the influence of the populist right. But this president's first instincts are to lead. And he's turned a deaf ear to those isolationist voices in the main so far as administration. But I think they represent a real threat as our coalition goes forward, our party goes forward. And that's why I wrote what conservatives believe. The subtitle to this book, Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience. Now that's a direct reference to Barry Goldwater. A lot of people don't remember him. I mean, he ran for president as a Republican in 1964, certainly didn't do well. Austin Lyndon Johnson back in that election. But... What is it about Barry Goldwater? And you bringing him into this and trying to, I don't know if it's a sequel, but trying to bring back the spirit of what he had said so many years ago. Why Barry Goldwater? Why does that resonate so much with you and other conservatives? Well, Dave, I do believe for most Americans under the age of 50, the name Barry Goldwater is a long forgotten or a distant memory. But he wrote a little book in 1960 entitled The Conscience of a Conservative. that while it did not carry him to the White House in the election in 1964, those ideas and those principles arguably would carry Ronald Reagan to the White House 16 years later in 1980. And it's been that commitment to a strong national defense, American leadership in the world, less government, less taxes, traditional moral values, including the right to life that's really defined the conservative movement and the Republican Party for... 50 years. But while the Democratic Party has been overtaken by the progressive left, by radical policies that bring radical gender ideology forward, radical left-wing social values as well as as well as an open embrace of socialism and socialist candidates. Now, within Republican ranks, our voices on the populist right that would really challenge the limited government vision, the belief that America's leader of the free world, even the commitment to the right to life in our party. You warn about what you call big government republicanism. Is that where people on the right take some of what the left believes? and co-ops their concepts with the way they want to use government? Well, it's very well said, Dave. It's exactly what it is. I mean, when the administration first came up with a proposal to nationalize shares in U.S. Steel and has gone on to nationalize shares in private companies around the country in one deal after another, Senator Elizabeth Warren actually said, quote, I think Donald Trump has come across an idea that I came up with years ago.

paid to even minimum standards to protect the unborn. Well, the new book is what conservatives believe, rediscovering the conservative conscience from former vice president, Mike Pence. And congratulations on that new book. And again, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on. Thank you, Dave, Anthony. Great to be back on Fox News Radio. I wrote a little song to remind you, Choice Hotels, gets you more of the experiences. You value. The Cambria Hotels got it all. A rooftop bar, have a ball. Cocktails up here feel just right. This Cambria amazing, all right. Bring a date, your team, or even your mom. Book direct at Choiceotails.com. See you on the roof. Cheers to America's 250th birthday. Get 20% off your first purchase at Fox Newswinshop.com with code FNRadio 20. 20% discount excludes wine club offers and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Expires July 31st, 2026. Must be 21 order to order. Please drink responsibly. This is David Marcus with your Fox News commentary coming up. Through the Memorandum of Understanding, the United States will lift sanctions off the selling of Iranian oil, President Trump, who is in France, addressed that economic impact. We're not putting up money. Only if they're doing things right. If they're doing things right, if people want to invest, they can invest. More and more details are emerging about the Memorandum of Understanding, and both sides say that more talks will soon follow. At the start of the war, the Fox News rundown spoke to Iranian Americans about this critical moment. And here's Dr. Nazim Moynihan, who was born in Iran and immigrated with her family to the U.S. at the onset of the 1979 revolution. We never thought that the country would change so drastically. And I never thought I'll see this day that the leader of the Islamic revolution would die. Now, we circled back to hear her perspective once again. What I'm hoping to get out of the MOU that hasn't really been published yet, and, you know, a few people had the privy or privy to it. Dr. Nazim Moynihan is a Middle East Institute Associate Fellow. I'm afraid it's far from what... Iran watchers and president cheerleaders on this whole Iran ordeal have been hoping for, which I as an Iranian, you know, well that I was born in Iran. It's a country I sentimentally feel attached to, but America is my country has been for a long time. But as an Iranian, I feel it's a laid down of the Iranian people. I'm afraid that since 1979 revolution, they've always felt that the world hasn't hurt them, doesn't care about them, doesn't care about their struggle, even though there's such a pro-Western, pro-American 90 million strong population. And I think this MOU kind of gives validity to that sentiment.

So looking at this so far, in what we do know about this agreement, do you see it as a success? Do you think there's not enough sustenance in it? Well, that's a subjective explanation. Now, how do you define success? I define success as having concrete commitments by Iran and having a kind of an understanding that They're no longer able to be amenous to the region. And their proxies, their missile program, they're crackdown on their own people. These are all side notes to the nuclear file, but they're very important, you know, aside. from being a threat, a nuclear threat to the world. They're also, in their own region, a conventional military power. And they have wreaked havoc on the region and, you know, have been able to absorb the shocks that Israeli military attacks have been able to inflict. So it's success to me means that... This regime is so weakened that there is no way for it to build back. But I'm afraid that we are just giving life to Phoenix. It's going to rise from the ashes after this commitment and memorandum of understanding goes through. Well, we've had you on the podcast before for listeners who might not have heard that episode. Can we? Take a look back at your story personally. You were born in Iran. You came to the U.S. Can you tell us a little bit about how your story coming to the U.S. began? Sure. I was born in Iran. We came to the U.S. with half of my family at the outset of the revolution. We were always politically very involved, not that we were out on the street protesting, but politics was always a topic of discussion because we're also Jewish. So the safety of Israel mattered to us greatly. So we did sit around. I remember my first expose into the world of politics was when I was free. years old and it was just in the aftermath of the 1973 war in and iran was the only country in the middle east had that had stepped up to to break the blockade the oil blockade that was really messing up with the uh with the american um economy and and then when when the revolution happened it was just kind of a natural transition into, okay, leaving this country that we had belonged to for 2,500 years as an Iranian Jew and going to another country that welcomed Jews. That's what we had in mind. It was a choice between Israel and America. My sister was already here in New York, and we kind of joined my sister. We got on a plane and we left. So now, looking at...

At how times have changed just in the last couple months, you know, when we first interviewed you, you said that this felt like a surreal moment. Several months later with this memorandum of understanding on the table, do you feel just as hopeful as you did then? It is still kind of surreal to see that... Ali Khamenei, who was the longest surviving dictator in the Middle East, is no longer. We always thought that he's going to stay on and lead forever. And, you know, because we were, Iran was so gripped. and hung on to every word that was uttered by him and his surrounding. So he's no longer there. General Salami, Qasem Soleimani, Pokpur, all the top IRC commanders are no longer there. But we have General Dahidi right now, who's the head of IRGC, who has replaced them. And he has emerged as the personality who's been calling the shots. You know, I don't want to, I can't make any comparisons. I don't know enough about General Vahidi and his resume is not that long as the head of IRGC. But we have arrived at a point where we were hoping that the decapitation of the regime will create. the set of scenarios where it will catapult into a regime take down either by the Kurds, by the Iranians themselves, and the Israelis and Americans will give them cover. None of that happened. And the regime is still very much intact. Yeah. Well, at the beginning of the conflict, there was a lot of talk about regime change. Now we're hearing a lot of conversation centering around a changed regime. Is that enough to you? Unfortunately, I have to push back against that. There is no change in the regime. The positivity that the president is speaking with is not apparent to us Iran watchers. It's still very much the Islamic Republic. It was becoming extremely and increasingly militarized over decades. And there was this invisible military compound that... IRGC was making Iran into a military compound. And I have looked at maps where neighborhoods are... gridded and identified. And every few blocks, there was an ammunition depot that the Israeli strikes took out many of them. But still, they're still there. And that's where the bombs were heard when they were going off in the middle of a night. They were not residential neighborhood. They were residential neighborhoods. But there was no one living in that building because it was a military compound with storage for facilities of crackdown on the day running as citizens.

And that's what has always defined the Islamic Republic of Iran. That was apparent to us. I don't know if it was, if it were, it's still apparent to the president of the United States or, or to his cabinet. So as an Iranian-American with so much vested in this moment right now, what are your greatest concerns within this memorandum of understanding? There are two scenarios that can come out of this MOU. And again, I am going to be gentle to the articles in MOU because I haven't really seen all of it together, all 14 points together. I know, for example, we have committed ourselves to $300 billion of regional support, financial support, to rebuild Iran, even though the president himself said. They've suffered about $100 billion in structural damage. We're giving them $300 billion. So that's a little confusing. The fact that we are unfreezing their assets to the Iranian Central Bank, letting them decide where the money goes, that's very confusing. And that's also not, doesn't speak very well for the strength of this deal, for the American side. The worst case scenario for me is that we give up so much. in return for a pinky promise from the Islamic regime. They will write this out. They will wait for the Trump administration to be removed or step down in three years' time when their elections are have come and gone. And then, again, they will rise like Phoenix from the ashes. And if they don't, if they don't enrich uranium in a way that we can detect it, they always have their BFF right next to Pakistan who has... is a nuclear power. Iran's blueprint for their nuclear weaponization came from Al-Qaeda Khan, known as AQ Khan. They brought him in. And he became the father of the Iranian nuclear program. And that was taken over by Ali Akbar Soleil, who has brought Iran to this point. So once Iran becomes a nuclear power, and enriched with our unsanctioning them and allowing them to sell oil, we're looking at a possible North Korea sitting on top of the street of Hormuz. In any kind of negotiation, both sides do need to make concessions. So in your opinion, what do you think that Iran should be getting out of this deal? What concessions would the U.S. need to make? Well, we have made a lot of concessions. Iran basically hasn't committed to anything. The only thing they have committed to is the opening of the street of Hermos, and that's also narrowed down to not shooting at the ships that pass by. I mean, that's as far as Iran has gone.

That to me sounds negligible compared to everything else we're giving Iran. The unsanctioning of Iran, the secondary sanctions, allowing them to sell oil and petroleum, I mean, petrochemicals. Although I guess I'm asking, sorry to interrupt, what do you think would be an acceptable concession that the U.S. should make? I think, U.S., I think, Alex, this might sound a little too hawkish. I'm not a hawk. I hate wars. I come from revolution. So that, to me, is unacceptable on any level. But we gave up too quickly. And I think it was a military campaign on June 12th of last year, 2025. It should have continued to be a military campaign before it became a coercive diplomacy. And now I'm afraid that this is catastrophic diplomacy, what we have. We stopped too early. We could have continued this down the road for another two months and not worry about the oil prices because we still had a lot of buffer zones between higher oil prices and what the market wanted. We had reserves. We had Venezuela oil that had come online. And the concessions that... Iran would have made at that point would have been a much more favorable U.S. position concerns than it is now. We're giving up a lot in return for opening the Strait of Hermodes, which is status quo, where we were before. Dr. Nazim Boenian, I know you have such a vested interest in this. This is very personal for you. So thank you so much for your perspective on this matter. And thank you for your time. Thank you, Alex.

2026 marks 250 years of America and throughout the year. Bill Hammer takes listeners on a journey through the 250 most impactful moments in American history. Listen and follow now at foxnewspodcasts.com. Subscribe to this podcast at foxnewspodcasts.com. It's time for your Fox News Commentary. David Marcus. What's on your mind? Among the most charming and fun developments of the United States hosting the World Cup, along with all the ties and low scoring, of course, has been a bunch of Europeans discovering the wonders of America and sharing it on social media. A German, who goes by the handle Freddie, has taken America by storm. Describing the joys he finds driving to the deep south, he and others have lauded everything from the grand magnificence of Bucky's gas stations to the savory goodness of biscuits and gravy. perhaps most american of all is the fact that the majority of these travel accounts on social media are road trips by europeans who are used to biking everywhere with a beget under their arm here they are even posting maps covering hundreds of miles like latterday lewis and clarks As the great American novelist Jack Kerouac understood, driving is the only way to truly understand America, to find its secrets, its nooks, crannies, and roadside gems. You can't fly there, you can't take a train, you have to get behind the wheel and hit the road. What European travelers are really experiencing is the freedom of driving and how essential it is to the whole mythology of modern America, the ability to chart your own course versus highly efficient rail systems that guide not just your travel, but your life. You want to drive to Waffle House at 1 a.m.? Knock yourself out. You want to buy a rifle somewhere between Buckees and Barstow. You can. America isn't the only country where you can take a road trip, but it's the only country that's essentially founded on the practice. America, as Kerouac knew, is its roads and the little towns and people that thrive along them. The songwriter Morrissey recently commented on the homogenization of European culture brought about in part by its ubiquitous and highly efficient public transportation systems. Maas, as his fans column, said that before everything became cookie cutter, quote, you could go to Germany and see the most incredible culture. You could go to Italy and see the most incredible culture. Now they just want everything to be the same, the same, the same. So diversity means conformity, end quote. even in america our cities have begun to feel all the same the same stores the same foods the same accents even but in these places that you have to drive to you find the trees in the forest of great america and when you do their branches will astound you so drive on europeans under the blanket of stars as our hot-shot freight trains sigh and whistle in the distance feel the curve of our continent under your wheels and enjoy the hospitality of those who really mean it when they say how you doing And just maybe, some Americans will be inspired to do this themselves to forego one Disney or Cancun vacation for a road trip with the family, with all the small miseries and abundant joys that packing the family into a car brings. Until then, thanks to Freddy and the gang for holding up the mirror to the true nature of America. It's small-town decency and wide-smiling hospitality. Americans who lived near international airports needed the reminder.

At the end of the day, what these Europeans are realizing is that Americans do whatever the hell we want to, and it is our cars that give us that freedom. However dire the straits or low the soul may feel, when the engine roars, we can get from point A to point B, and anywhere, in between. As Kerouac put it, Sal, we got to go and never stop going until we get there. Where are we going, man? I don't know, but we got to go. This is David Marcus, Fox News Digital columnist, and author of Shared The COVID Lies to Crush the Nage. You've been listening to the Fox News Rundown. And now, stay up to date by subscribing to this podcast at Fox News Podcasts.com. Listen ad-free on Fox News Podcasts Plus on Apple Podcasts. And Prime members can listen to the show ad-free on Amazon Music. And for up-to-the-minute news, go to Fox News.com.