"Politico": JD Vance's political future in jeopardy as Iran war fallout escalates - Sarmad
Politico reported that the fate of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is more closely tied to the Iran war than that of any other politician, but his aides and allies believe he has a lifeline if the fighting continues.
One Republican activist supportive of Vance, who, like others, requested anonymity to speak frankly about the vice president, said: “It wasn’t necessarily a strategic move on his part, but it had the side effect of putting him in a good political position.”
He added: “From a purely political perspective, what really mattered was that he be seen as seeking to end the war while simultaneously maintaining his loyalty and alignment with the president.”
The newspaper noted that Vance’s positioning as a key player in negotiations, coupled with his expressed skepticism about Iranian intentions, allows him to claim credit if talks advance and to say, “Didn’t I tell you so?” if they stall. This stance earns him support from Republicans who want an immediate end to the war, as well as from the party’s more hardline wing, which favors a renewed bombing campaign. Most importantly for Vance and his allies, he has never shown any disloyalty to President Donald Trump.
One of Vance’s allies stated: “How can he be held responsible? Failure to pursue peace does not make one accountable to reasonable people. In other words, peace advocates will not blame him for trying to end the war.”
However, many Republicans remain skeptical of Vance’s ability to overcome political fallout if another war in the Middle East proves disastrous. While they acknowledge that he is trying his best under difficult circumstances, they point out that voters will hold him responsible for rising gasoline prices as the 2028 election approaches.
Another former official said the collapse of the ceasefire was inevitable, and that the status quo is likely to persist for months because the memorandum of understanding failed to address two major disagreements: linking Lebanon’s ceasefire to the Strait of Hormuz, and the issue of control over the strait.
The official did not hesitate to express his view clearly, asserting that the failure of the memorandum would fall on the vice president.
Gasoline prices gradually rose to near $4 per gallon following news of the ceasefire’s collapse. The average price per gallon reached $3.88 on Friday after weeks of decline.
