JD Vance got one eye on 2028 and the other on Trump, making sure he doesn’t piss him off. That’s how I read his comments after the midterms. The Republicans took a beating, and now the vice president is out here asking whether the Iran war was worth the political cost. Funny how clear everything gets once the votes are counted.
I break down the move in this episode of My Political Thoughts. Watch the full video on YouTube.
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Where was this energy before Election Day?
After Republicans lost control of Congress, Vance pointed to the Iran war as a reason they lost. He also talked about the cost of living. Trump, meanwhile, kept defending the decision to go to war. There’s a real difference there. And it gives Vance a way to tell voters he sees what went wrong while Trump is still defending the call. Associated Press reporting
But go back to the summer. In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Vance said the war could be worth it if it transformed the Middle East. He also took part in talks aimed at ending the fighting. So he had a role in trying to end it, and he was willing to make a public case for it under certain conditions. What I want to hear now is what changed his mind about the war itself. Losing elections tells you what it cost your party. What do you think it cost the people you were supposed to be looking out for? Associated Press reporting
He still wants Trump’s blessing
Back in October, Vance said he hadn’t decided whether to run in 2028. He also said he thought Trump would endorse him if he ran. That’s the part I keep coming back to. How far can you walk away from the man when you’re still hoping he’ll tell his people to vote for you? ABC News reporting
My read is that Vance wants just enough daylight to tell people, “I would’ve handled things differently,” while staying close enough to get Trump’s blessing. And Trump gave him room to do it this time. He called Vance’s comments good and then went right back to defending the war. If I’m Vance and I’m thinking about 2028, that’s about as comfortable as a public disagreement with Trump can get. Reuters reporting
This is why I don’t trust the pivot
I can respect somebody changing their mind. Tell me what you got wrong, when you figured it out, and what you did about it when it could still make a difference. When the strongest criticism comes after your party catches an L, I’m going to ask whose future you’re worried about.
If Vance runs, I want somebody to put his summer remarks and his post-election comments side by side and ask him one simple question. If Republicans had won, would you be saying the same thing about the war today?
Watch my full take and tell me what you think. Is Vance finally speaking his mind, or is he getting his 2028 pitch ready? Watch on YouTube
