Vice President JD Vance had this week circled on his calendar for months.
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He would release his second book, a memoir about his faith journey, and go on a media blitz to promote it.
The centerpiece would be an appearance on “The View,” the daytime talk show that tripped up then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential aspirations when she failed to articulate differences between her and her boss, Joe Biden. For Vance, a probable 2028 White House contender, it would be an opportunity to show he could endure a grilling on a program popular with women and not known as a safe harbor for MAGA Republicans.
Then came a deal that Vance helped broker to end the United States’ war with Iran — arriving at precisely the time his book tour was set to launch, bringing more questions than answers, and putting him on an even hotter seat.
Critics, including some fellow Republicans, piled on with skepticism. Even President Donald Trump, who enlisted Vance as his chief negotiator, couldn’t resist a joke at his vice president’s expense.
“If it doesn’t work out,” Trump quipped, responding to a reporter at this week’s G7 summit in Geneva who had asked if Vance might make a convenient scapegoat if the deal goes sideways, “I’m blaming JD.”
The political perils of the Iran assignment — in some ways reminiscent of Biden placing Harris in charge of tackling the root causes of migration — were underscored again Thursday night. Vance delayed his anticipated travel to Switzerland to represent the U.S. in the next round of peace talks, with a White House spokesperson citing negotiations that “have never been simple or predictable.”
Nevertheless, Vance has been in good spirits all week, two people close to him told NBC News. He has treated the confluence of the Iran deal and his book release as a happy coincidence — a chance to demonstrate his loyalty while establishing himself as a peacemaker.
“This was probably the best week for the vice president politically all year long,” said a Republican close to the White House who is supportive of Vance and, like others, was granted anonymity to share candid and internal thinking.
“Vance’s political opponents have always had a tendency to underestimate his skills, which only makes it more jarring when he has weeks like this where he breaks through the matrix and owns the center of the political arena,” this person added. “From his performance on ‘The View’ to his press conference to the countless other media hits he did this week, he reminded everyone why he is the front-runner for 2028.”
Vance is “feeling good” about how everything has played out, said one of the people close to the vice president. “The president likes the deal, JD likes the deal. This is a good place to be.”
The stakes are incredibly high for Vance, whose prospects of being Trump’s successor could ride on how skillfully he navigates intraparty tensions while also attempting, with the book tour, to tiptoe out beyond the president’s shadow.
From his spin through New York TV studios, he went to a battleground congressional district on Long Island to promote his anti-fraud push, then returned to Washington on Thursday for a turn in the White House briefing room. There, he was asked if he is worried that Trump, given the president’s comment the day before, will make him the fall guy if the deal goes bad.
“No, not at all,” Vance replied. “I think the president was joking, as he often does.”
The vice president “is in a position to help drive this process forward,” a person familiar with his role said.
“He’s also in the danger seat,” this person added, “which means any outcome will inevitably be associated with the people closest to the effort. Leadership requires a willingness to take ownership of difficult decisions, and that’s what these moments demand.”
Vance’s week began Sunday with his digital signing of a memorandum of understanding that spells out terms for winding down the monthslong war with Iran. Immediately, the deal stoked criticism, including among prominent Republicans. Some of their worries were reinforced over the next few days, amid confusion about what was in the memorandum of understanding.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and defense hawk who is close with Trump, pointedly singled out Vance in a Sunday social media post that signaled that the deal’s opponents could focus their blame and displeasure on the vice president. On Wednesday, after more details emerged, and after a discussion with special envoy Steve Witkoff, Graham assumed a more supportive posture.
“Thank you, Lindsey,” Vance posted in response. “The President’s coalition is uniting behind his leadership and vision for a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world.”
Other Republicans ramped up their criticism after learning more details.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who lost his primary last month after Trump endorsed one of his opponents, posted on X that the deal is the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is seen as a potential Vance rival in 2028, chimed in with concerns, too.
“Being criticized by some of the least popular people in the Republican Party only helps JD because it sends a signal to our actual voting base that he has all the right enemies,” said the Vance supporter who is close to the White House. “These are literally people who all already hated him and frankly, he’s relishing the fight.”
Meanwhile, Vance was popping up on TV multiple times a day, ostensibly to promote his book, but also taking the lead in explaining and defending the Iran deal.
“So, first of all, not a single cent of American money goes to Iran — not $300 billion, not $24 billion, not any of the money, the dollar figures that I’ve seen floating around,” Vance said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends” when asked about a provision in the deal that has become a tension point: a commitment that the U.S. will work with regional partners to develop a funding plan for “reconstruction and economic development” in Iran.
The hosts of “The View” steered clear of the topic, pressing Vance instead on issues such as immigration, the Jeffrey Epstein files and his 2021 comment about “childless cat ladies.” In his new book, “Communion,” Vance writes that the remark was “one of the dumbest things I ever said.”
“So this is the show of the MAGA Republicans, right?” Vance joked as he took his place for Tuesday’s show.
Vance relished the performance while visiting the other end of the political spectrum that night, an appearance on Fox News’ “Gutfeld!”
“Joy Behar even said during the break, not joking, she said, ‘You know what, you’re, like, pretty good for a Republican,’ and I was like, ‘Whoa, that is a way better compliment that I expected from Joy Behar,’” Vance said of one of the ”View” co-hosts.
Behar indeed had praise for Vance. On “Behind the Table,” a behind-the-scenes podcast from “The View,” she said she believes he would be a “kinder” president than Trump.
“I expected him to not have a sense of humor,” Behar added, “and he did have one.”
The book tour was not without its tense and awkward moments. In a Wednesday appearance on “CBS Mornings,” Vance was pressed about the text of the Iran MOU, which at that point remained shrouded in secrecy. His answer — “So, there are some, frankly, diplomatic protocols that I don’t fully understand” — made for punchy headlines and social media posts.
Even so, Vance’s media blitz earned favorable reviews from several tastemakers on the right.
“Really impressed by the clips of JD Vance from this week,” Matt Walsh, a conservative influencer and podcaster, wrote Thursday on X. “Incredibly talented and a very gifted communicator.”
Steve Deace, an influential conservative radio host in Iowa, the state that traditionally holds the first presidential caucuses, heralded Vance’s Tuesday TV appearances — including “The View” — as “a truly remarkable day of messaging.”
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, summed up the vice president’s week Thursday by posting to X an image of his press briefing being carried live on four channels.
“Full spectrum media dominance,” Cheung wrote.
As for “Communion,” Vance’s book quickly shot to the top of Amazon’s best-selling new releases list. It remained there as of Friday.
