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Vance Defends Trump's Iran Strategy at CBS Town Hall
Confirmed
In Short: Vice President JD Vance defended the Trump administration's handling of the economy and Iran strategy during a CBS News town hall, addressing voter concerns about high gas prices and economic challenges.
Vice President JD Vance defended the Trump administration's handling of the economy and Iran strategy during a CBS News town hall, addressing voter concerns about high gas prices and economic challenges.
In the hour-long event, Vance argued that the Iran war has kept oil prices high, despite the U.S. and Iran refraining from active fighting. Keshon Wheatley, a Detroit barber, expressed frustration over rising gas prices and said he plans to vote for Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race.
Sandy Johnson, who owns a family entertainment center, asked Vance when she could expect changes that would help small businesses. Vance acknowledged that the country's economic issues were not fixed in one presidential term and would take more time to resolve.
The town hall, hosted by CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil, came just weeks before the midterm elections, with Republicans fighting to maintain their majorities in the House and Senate.
Vance was also pressed on government corruption, with 60% of voters extremely concerned about the issue, according to a Fox News poll.
Vance's comments on the Trump administration's immigration policies included plans to investigate Congresswoman Ilhan Omar over allegations of immigration fraud, a claim Omar has denied.
Vance's appearance at the town hall set the stage for the 2028 primary, with supporters chanting '48' — a reference to the next presidency.
The event highlighted the ongoing tensions between the administration's efforts to reduce immigration and the economic growth of U.S. companies like Microsoft, which Vance criticized for laying off American workers and hiring foreign workers instead.
What this adds
The town hall did not address specific plans to address the high cost of living or provide immediate relief to struggling small businesses.
Vance's comments on Omar's alleged immigration fraud were not substantiated by any new evidence presented during the town hall.
What's confirmed
- “You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants.” Vance said Microsoft last year fired 6,000 U.S.
- “We’re going have a good time listening to music because I’m getting a little bit tired of politics now," Trump said at one point.
- The crowd was comfortable with Vance at center stage: At one point, supporters started chanting "48" -- a reference to the next presidency and the chatter already underway.
What's still developing
- "What broke the United States, as much as I might like to criticize Joe Biden, but it was a bipartisan, multi-generational failure to under-invest in American workers, to under-invest in American manufacturing, to ship all of our good jobs overseas," Vance said.
- "And I think there are all these things I pointed to that show signs of progress. But Sandy, I'll be the first person to tell you that, just as this country wasn't broken in one presidential term, it's gonna take more than 18 months to fix things and turn them around."
- "The way that I think about life, big life decisions — my wife will tell you this — is I'm a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it," said Vance, adding that he'll "have to think about it."
- Asked by Dokoupil about Mr. Trump's assessment of an "A+" economy, Vance said the president was referring to new investments, "but he would be the first person to tell you that you gotta build the factories first before you can employ the workers working in those factories."
- He said oil is still being exported from the Middle East because of efforts by the U.S. military to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. On the competitive Michigan Senate race, he argued El-Sayed — a frequent critic of the Iran war — has not offered a solution to the problem, and gave Rogers credit for calling for the war to end. "He's been remarkably independent about this," Vance said of Rogers.
- Trump and Vance to power, but polls indicate that most voters are still unhappy with the economy and hold the Trump administration responsible.
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- "I will … terminate (President Joe Biden's) electric vehicle mandate. If you want to buy an electric car, that's fine, but you're going to be able to buy every other form of car also."
- Vance, Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, Labor Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito, and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson during an announcement at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2026.
- “The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come work for us, and they equal only 1% of our U.S. workforce. They are not new arrivals to our country,” Microsoft said.
- “This election coming up is not about politics,” said Patrick.
- Before Trump returned to the stage, it was Vance who sharpened his pitch to be the party's future standard bearer and set off the start of 2028 primary to succeed the 47th president.