Former Vice President Mike Pence is not ruling out a 2028 White House campaign, telling Fox News Digital he has received outreach from individuals nationwide regarding a potential presidential bid. The declaration marks a shift from his September statement at the Economic Club of Washington, where he said he had "no plans" to run for any office in 2028.

Pence, who unsuccessfully sought the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, emphasized the necessity for the Republican Party to win the presidency in 2028. He said the party must prioritize its platform before focusing on individual candidates.

In his first interview since the 2026 midterms, Pence delivered a warning to Republicans. Unless they abandon policy shifts away from traditional conservative principles, he argued, they face another defeat.

Pence directly attributed the GOP's losses in the 2026 midterm elections to President Donald Trump's second-term policies. Trump's retreat from conservative principles toward a populist agenda led to what Pence called the "wreckage of the 2026 midterm elections."

Democrats secured a large House majority and regained control of the Senate during the 2026 elections, a result Pence labeled a "midterm shellacking" for the GOP. He contended that "this version of Republicanism was just rejected by the American people."

Pence, who served as Vice President during Trump's first term, highlighted the expansion of Advancing American Freedom, his policy and advocacy organization, over the past year. He said he plans to "continue to lean into advocating that broad mainstream conservative agenda that's defined the Republican Party for the last 50 years."

He defined core Republican principles as strong defense, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the right to life. Pence asserted that without a return to these tenets, "it won't matter who we nominate in 2028."

Pence did not provide a timeline for deciding on a 2028 presidential run. He stressed the importance of focusing "first on what we're for before we focus on who we're for."

White House Spokesman Davis Ingle responded to Pence's comments, telling Fox News Digital that "Mike Pence's total and complete lack of courage caused untold damage to our great country." Ingle's statement was cut short in reporting.