(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Vice President JD Vance has been widely assumed to be the frontrunner to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2028, but sources say backlash from the Iran war and an impending new baby might be giving him second thoughts.
“While the political impact of the war could be significant, Vance has maintained in recent private conversations that he hasn’t yet decided whether he will seek the presidential nomination for 2028,” the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing two people who’ve talked to Vance about the matter.
“One of those people cited Vance’s fourth child, due this summer, and said the vice president has put a priority on his family life and is unlikely to make a final decision until he and Usha Vance see how another baby affects their lives.”
The Post’s report comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s top counterterrorism official, Joe Kent, resigning in protest over the Iran war. Kent said in an open letter that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
According to the Post, Vance had met with Kent and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard about Kent’s resignation. Vance reportedly asked him to “go quietly” and not make it a “big thing.”
“It was an example of how Vance has privately entertained criticisms of the conflict and acknowledged it is not popular among war skeptics but has made a point to avoid public rebuke of Trump’s decisions,” the Post said.
When asked about the matter on Wednesday, Vance displayed support for Trump.
“Whatever your view is, when the president of the United States makes a decision, it’s your job to help make that decision as effective and successful as possible,” Vance said.
“That’s how I do my job,” the vice president said, “and I think that’s how everybody in the administration should do their job, too.”
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
