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JD Vance Faces Backlash Over Israel Stance After Midterms
· Confirmed
In Short: Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection a day after President Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader, drawing criticism from Jewish Republicans.
Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection a day after President Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader, drawing criticism from Jewish Republicans.
Vance, during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin, said, 'I endorse American candidates, and that's what I'm focused on in the midterms. So I'm not going to get involved in the Israeli elections.'
In July, Vance said elements of the Israeli government had tried to influence American sentiment to derail negotiations, and he accused some within the Israeli system of manipulating American public opinion to keep the war going indefinitely.
Vance left a positive impression on his RJC audience while stopping short of disavowing Carlson, and he has faced general questions about his association with the controversial host.
Vance's comments on Joe Rogan's podcast and his post on X, where he discussed his internal conversations with data analysts, have further complicated his position among Jewish Republicans.
Vance's post was retweeted by Trump’s son Donald Jr., who wrote: 'Every word of this is 100% 100% 100%.' Trump acknowledged that the spiking gas prices caused by the war contributed to the Republican losses.
Vance predicted that there will be 'a lot of gaslighting' in the next few months, suggesting that establishment politicians will argue that the solution to Republican 'woes' is amnesty.
What this adds
Vance's stance on Netanyahu exposes fresh divisions within the Republican Party as Trump's approval ratings plummet ahead of the midterms.
Vance's comments on the war and its impact on the midterm elections highlight the complex political landscape he faces as vice president.
What's confirmed
- "The president has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history. I endorse American candidates, and that's what I'm focused on in the midterms. So I'm not going to get involved in the Israeli elections," Vance said.
- “And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats.” Vance predicted that there will be “a lot of gaslighting” in the next few months, suggesting that establishment politicians will argue that the solution to Republican “woes” is amnesty.
What's still developing
- “So, I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.” Vance has campaigned for a foreign leader — then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, last spring before the right-wing leader’s party lost that country’s parliamentary election.
- In Lincoln County, where Vance visited Thursday, over 60% of registered voters are Republicans, with just over 16% registered as Democrats.
- Vance was widely reported to have opposed the war before the US and Israel launched it on February 28.
- "Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country," Vice President Vance argued Wednesday.
- JD Vance has refused to follow Donald Trump in endorsing Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election bid, exposing fresh divisions as the president’s approval ratings plummet ahead of the midterms.
- (WOWT) - Vice President JD Vance visited North Platte, Nebraska, Thursday, while President Donald Trump traveled to Sioux City, Iowa, the same day, marking the latest in a series of stops by the administration in Nebraska and Iowa ahead of the midterm elections.
- “I’m open to the idea that we should change enforcement—by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, for instance,” Vance said.
- In a lengthy post on X, Vance said that people who voted Republican in the 2024 election showed up this year, but they voted for Democrats because of fallout from the war.
- “The reason we lost is the war,” Vance said, adding: “The president himself said so last night.” Vance was quiet Tuesday evening as commentators and politicians flooded the airwaves with celebratory or post-mortem analysis.
- Final results aren't expected until 15 days after Election Day.
- The conservative firebrand senator from Texas, who was runner-up to Trump in the bruising 2016 Republican presidential primaries and has made no secret that he may run for the White House again, described the midterms as a "blue tsunami" and warned that his party had lost touch with voters, particularly in the Lone Star State.