‘Everybody Likes Him’: JD Vance’s Vice Presidency Praised
Political analyst Mark Halperin has observed that Vice President JD Vance’s time in office already stands apart from other vice presidents in modern political history.
During the initial phase of President Donald Trump’s second term, Vance has quickly become the most engaged vice president since Dick Cheney.
Speaking on The Morning Meeting, Halperin pointed out that even though Vance is still relatively new in his role, he has already set himself apart in ways that reflect positively compared to both Cheney and former Vice President Al Gore. This distinction was particularly evident during a heated exchange on Friday inside the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We never know what’s gonna happen. He could crash and burn. Trump could turn against him, although he’ll never — Don Jr., and [former Fox News host] Tucker [Carlson] will never turn against him,” Halperin stated.
It’s been widely reported that both Don Jr. and Carlson were among those who encouraged Trump to select Vance for the VP slot.
“And so, I will say, if you look at the modern history, influential vice presidents who had great relationships with the president — little tension and super sway with the staff and the ability to be their own person but also a team player, you can look at Al Gore. You can look at Cheney,” Halperin remarked.
“This is unprecedented in our time, what’s happening right now — his influence and the fact that everybody likes him. And he knows his lane,” Halperin continued. “There’s no danger of what happened with Gore, with, you know, wanting to start his own political operation.
“No danger of what happened with Cheney, where Cheney overshadowed the president in some ways after 9/11. Like, this is unprecedented what’s happening here. And he’s proven to be so skillful,” Halperin added.
Vance has stepped into a leading role on several high-profile issues, from brokering an agreement to avoid a nationwide ban on TikTok, to confronting European power players, and using his Senate relationships to help push through essential cabinet confirmations.
He has also emerged as a leading voice for the Trump administration, acting as a primary spokesman for the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda while vigorously defending the president’s policies.
“Vance carries credibility with so many of these senators, and at a minimum, can be a radar for how they’re viewing things and inform the White House in terms of its own legislative strategy. So yeah, he definitely plays multiple parts for Trump,” Republican strategist Scott Jennings told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a recent interview. “Obviously, communications is public-facing, and there’s also behind-the-scenes legislative strategy. It was a great pick for Trump.”
Podcast host Joe Rogan also offered high praise for Vice President JD Vance back in January, following Vance’s appearance on CBS News with Margaret Brennan. Rogan described it as “amazing” and “a masterclass,” noting how effectively Vance pushed back against Brennan’s framing. During the Face the Nation appearance on January 26, Vance addressed issues like immigration and the economy.
“He’s great. Thank God for that guy,” Rogan said. “He’s so good at dismantling those dopey people and just breaking down — she was like, ‘This is a country built on immigrants.’ He’s like, ‘Yes, that doesn’t mean that 240 years later we have to have the dumbest immigration policy possible.’”
Meanwhile, Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller didn’t hold back when criticizing Zelenskyy’s conduct during the Oval Office meeting.
“I don’t think anybody had any idea that Zelenskyy would be so impertinent, so disrespectful, so insulting to the United States of America,” Miller told Fox News host Jesse Waters on Friday.
“Look, this is one of the great moments in the history of American diplomacy, the way that President Trump and JD Vance stood up for American interests on the world stage, the way that President Trump defended Americans after years of being fleeced and abused and taken advantage of and taken for granted, millions of American hearts swelled with overflowing pride today to watch President Trump put Zelenskyy in his place,” Miller added.