US Vice President JD Vance has tried to reassure the American public about the conflict between the Donald Trump administration and Iran, saying that the intervention will not turn into a “endless war”.
US Vice President JD Vance. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
The statements were made Tuesday during a press conference held at the White House, where Vance temporarily replaced spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave.
The American vice president answered questions from journalists for almost an hour and adopted a much more moderate tone than that of Trump.
“This is not an endless war,” Vance said. “We'll do our job and go home.”
Conflict with Iran, political test for JD Vance and Marco Rubio
Vance, 41, a former Marine and critic of US foreign military interventions, argued that an eventual escalation of conflict with Tehran could serve US security interests if diplomacy fails.
The war, which began on February 28, has already affected the global oil market and sent fuel prices soaring in the US, causing tensions within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
At the same time, the conflict is also seen as a political test for Trump's potential successors in the 2028 presidential race, particularly Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Asked about a possible 2028 presidential run, Vance tried to play down speculation.
“I'm not a potential future candidate. I'm the vice president, I really like my job and I'll try to do my job as well as possible,” he stated.
In recent weeks, however, the White House press room has become a veritable stage for Trump's potential successors. Vance's appearance comes shortly after Rubio drew attention with his own press conference, which was also appreciated by political opponents.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, about 34 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of JD Vance, while 33 percent approve of Marco Rubio. At the same time, Donald Trump's popularity has fallen to near its lowest level since he returned to the White House.
The US president recently contributed to the succession discussions in the Republican Party. At an event held in the Rose Garden of the White House, Trump asked the guests:
“Who likes JD Vance?”
Then he continued:
“Who likes Marco Rubio?”
Both questions were met with loud applause, and Trump later said the two would form “a perfect tandem”, but without expressing his official support for any of them.
During the conference, the US vice president also tried a few moments of relaxation, referring to his wife, Usha Vance, who is pregnant with the couple's fourth child.
“I told Karoline that I would fill in for her at the White House press briefing today, on the condition that when Usha gives birth in July, she would be vice president for a few weeks”joked JD Vance.
