In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.Vice President JD Vance has been expected to succeed President Donald Trump since the moment the 2024 election was called. And why not? Vance is the president’s natural successor, a formidable political operator, and a world-class debater. With a little greying on the temples, he’d look every bit the part.
Between the June release of his memoir, Communion, and a nonstop media circuit, Vance is behaving less like a man weighing his options and more like a candidate already running. It would be shocking if he didn’t. Few primary contenders in the modern era, incumbent vice presidents or otherwise, have enjoyed Vance’s aura of inevitability. The ones who did coasted to the nomination on name recognition and institutional authority, soaring above the fray while the rest of the field scrapped over “lanes.” They didn’t align with a tribe, but cast themselves as rightful heirs to something larger. Vance appears to have other plans. Months before primary season kicks off, Vance is leaning hard into the tribal conflicts engulfing the GOP. Appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast this week, Vance took bold stances on the Right’s most hotly contested debates, often wading into the most controversial minutiae.On Iran, the vice president predictably defended the administration’s actions, including the memorandum of understanding he negotiated with Iran, and lamented what he believes are “misrepresentations” of the deal in the media. But Vance went much further. He accused elements of the Israeli government of running an influence campaign against the MOU — pointing to a report alleging money flowed through a former Trump campaign operative to fund pro-Israel voices attacking the deal. The implication was hard to miss: Vance’s Republican critics on Iran were, unwittingly or not, foot soldiers in a foreign government’s lobbying operation.“My response to that is, well, go to hell,’ Vance said.Vice President JD Vance arrives to speak with Wolfgang Ischinger at the Munich Leaders Meeting, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
