Vice President JD Vance said he believes a foreign-backed influence campaign sought to derail the Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran, arguing that some critics were motivated by a desire to prolong military conflict rather than secure a diplomatic resolution.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Vance repeatedly emphasized that Israel remains a close U.S. ally while drawing a distinction between the nation as a whole and what he described as “certain elements within the Israeli government.”
“My attitude is towards this is Israel is an ally like France or like the United Kingdom,” Vance said. “We’re going to have disagreements with them. We’re going to have agreements with them. There are areas where we’re going to have similar interests and areas where our interests are going to diverge.”
He added, “My approach to this is to say, ‘You know what? We’re partnered, great, let’s work together, and where we’re not, let’s just be honest about it.'”
‘A Literal Foreign Influence Campaign’
Vance pointed to a recent TIME report, claiming it documented an organized effort to undermine the administration’s negotiations.
“When I open up the pages of Time magazine and I see that there’s a literal foreign influence campaign being funded to tank the very deal that I was pursuing,” he said, “my response to that is, ‘Go to h***. I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people.'”
He continued, “Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon. We have the free flow of oil and gas. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”
According to Vance, some commentators who sharply criticized the negotiations were participating in a broader effort to pressure the administration away from diplomacy.
“There have been these extraordinarily well-funded efforts to tank the negotiation, to prevent us from reaching a deal, to change American public opinion,” he said.
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‘America First’
Vance argued that attempts by foreign governments to influence U.S. policy are not unique to Israel but should never determine American decision-making.
“It doesn’t bother me that Israel tries to do this,” he said. “It frankly doesn’t even bother me that Russia or some of these other countries do it. It’s just the nature of being a political leader.”
“What does bother me,” Vance continued, “is when those operations, those influence campaigns actually affect American political judgment because they shouldn’t.”
He also rejected accusations that his criticism of specific policies reflected hostility toward Israel or Judaism.
“I’ve been accused of being an anti-Semite,” Vance said. “I have a ton of respect for the Jewish religion.”
Instead, he framed his position as one of pursuing U.S. interests while maintaining honest relationships with allies.
“I care about America first,” Vance said. “Obviously, [Israeli leaders] care about Israel first.”
Diplomacy Over Endless War
Throughout the conversation, Vance defended the administration’s strategy of combining military pressure with diplomacy, arguing that the goal should be preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons while avoiding another prolonged Middle East conflict.
“Americans do not… want long-term, open-ended regime-change wars in the Middle East,” he said. “They’re okay with us using the military to accomplish discrete objectives.”
Vance maintained that allies will not always agree on foreign policy but said the United States must ultimately pursue outcomes that serve the American people first.
“Our policy right now,” he said, “is get the straits open, ensure the free flow of oil and gas, obviously keep the Iranians from having a nuclear weapons program, and use the tools of diplomacy and military power to accomplish that.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
