The latest
The Wall Street Journal’s opinion section has intensified criticism of Vice President JD Vance, challenging his governing priorities, judgment on Iran and ties to commentator Tucker Carlson. Columns by editorial board members Kimberley Strassel and Allysia Finley, alongside an unsigned editorial, form an early argument against a figure widely viewed as having the inside track for Trump’s endorsement in a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
Details
- Competing priorities: Strassel accused Vance of promoting his newly published bestseller, “Communion,” while congressional Republicans try to enact an agenda before November’s elections. She argued that burnishing his résumé does not help the party, the president or Vance himself.
- Temperament questioned: After Vance supporters attacked her first column, Strassel described him as thin-skinned and suggested his “national conservative” project was failing to gain traction. Her criticism focused on both his response to dissent and the political appeal of his agenda.
- Iran and Carlson: Finley and the unsigned editorial criticised Vance’s defence of a memorandum of understanding with Iran that later unravelled, and disputed his assessment of the Iranian government. Finley also alleged that Vance cultivated Carlson while laying groundwork for a 2028 campaign.
- Allies push back: Vance’s office said he had visited Congress more than two dozen times since becoming vice president, rejecting the portrayal that he had been absent, but declined further comment. Allies told Axios that criticism from the Journal strengthens his standing with Republican grassroots by identifying him against the party’s pre-Trump establishment.
- Murdoch’s role: Murdoch, whose companies own the Journal and Fox News, lobbied Trump not to choose Vance as his running mate. Axios noted that Murdoch opposed Trump during his first campaign and early in the 2024 cycle before ultimately accommodating him both times.
- Rubio preference: Some Vance-sceptical Republicans prefer Secretary of State Marco Rubio, although Rubio has insisted he will not run. Republican donor Ken Griffin said he would support Rubio over Vance in a primary. A book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported that Murdoch called Rubio “brilliant” while saying Vance had “the potential to be great.”
Between the lines
The clash centres on competing definitions of modern conservatism. Vance broadly follows Trump on trade and immigration, two areas where the Journal’s opinion page has opposed the administration. His critics include pro-Israel conservatives, traditional Republicans and Murdoch-linked figures; his supporters argue those groups no longer represent the party’s electorate.
What’s next
November’s congressional elections are the next concrete test of the governing agenda Strassel says Vance has neglected. Beyond that vote, the key decisions will be whether Vance formally enters the 2028 race, Trump endorses him or Rubio reverses his refusal to run.
