Amidst whispers of a potential 2028 presidential bid, JD Vance harbors deep concerns about the unfolding conflict in Iran, which he believes could become a disaster. Despite his ambitions, the political landscape seems to be shifting away from him as Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, gains substantial ground.
Vance, a veteran who served in Iraq and is known for his anti-interventionist stance, has found himself overshadowed. Figures like Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are currently in the spotlight, particularly after the success of Operation Epic Fury, which resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
While the administration celebrates this military achievement, Vance remains apprehensive. A senior official from the Trump administration recently revealed that Vance is “worried about success” and continues to oppose the war. This comes shortly after former President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that Vance had been less enthusiastic about the conflict compared to other members of his cabinet.
According to sources within the administration, Vance maintains a skeptical view of the intervention. Although he initially presented an alternative perspective, a second official noted that Vance has since aligned himself with the administration’s decision, stating, “Once the decision has been made, he’s fully on board.”
Vance ‘just opposes’ the war and remains ‘skeptical’, a senior official told Politico.
A second official said Vance had offered ‘a different point of view’ but insisted he has since fallen in line. ‘But once the decision has been made, he’s fully on board,’ the official said.
Once it became clear that Trump would launch the strikes against Iran, Vance pushed for fast, decisive action to minimize casualties, sources said.
He intensely questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and CIA Director John Ratcliffe at a meeting ahead of the strikes, pressing them on the risks and complexities.
Vice President JD Vance salutes as an US Army carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, Monday March 9
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for a Women’s History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 12
Black smoke rises following an airstrike, as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13
He is now walking a tightrope in public as daylight emerges between himself and the President for the first time.
In 2023, then-Senator Vance wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal explaining why he backed Trump’s second term in the White House.
‘He has my support because I know he won’t recklessly send Americans to fight wars overseas,’ Vance wrote.
Vance told Fox News on March 2 that Trump would not allow the US ‘to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective.’
Vance said the war would not end until Trump ‘accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.’
Trump’s stated aims in the war had initially been unclear, vindicating some of Vance’s privately expressed concerns, as he called on Iranians to rise up and overthrow the regime.
The administration has since defined four objectives: destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, annihilating its navy, eliminating its nuclear ambitions, and severing its regional proxy networks.
But Trump remains mercurial, sending global oil prices skyrocketing last week when he demanded Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ and said that he must have a role in deciding Iran’s new supreme leader.
A US Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers carrying Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) are prepared for take off, from RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 13
Black smoke rises after an airstrike as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13
An Iranian security force officer stands guard next to a huge billboard of Iran’s newly nominated supreme leader Ayatollah Mojataba Khamenei during Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13
An Iranian woman reacts as she takes part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13
Vance spokeswoman Taylor Van Kirk said ‘the Vice President is a proud member of the President’s national security team’ and ‘keeps his counsel to the President private.’
Vance leads early polling to become the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee, according to an exclusive Daily Mail/JL Partners survey.
Nineteen percent of respondents named Vance the most influential member of Trump’s inner circle, with Rubio second on 12 percent.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said ‘efforts to drive a wedge between President Trump and Vice President Vance are totally misguided.’
