Vice President JD Vance wasn’t exactly on board with President Donald Trump’s trigger-happy march into war with Iran.
While Trump, 79, had apparently already made up his mind about pulling the trigger on Iran when he gave his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Vance, 41, remained skeptical, The Atlantic reports.
The vice president expressed reservations about Trump’s war plan in the days leading up to Saturday’s strikes, as did Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan “Raizin” Caine and senior Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, according to The Atlantic.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and Vance’s office for comment.
Although Vance’s qualms about the strikes were not previously known, it was reported earlier this week that Caine, 57, had raised concerns of possible casualties, depleted air defenses, and an overworked force.
The general also questioned whether air strikes alone could deliver on Trump’s ambition for regime change in the Islamic Republic, the Atlantic reports, citing two U.S. officials.
The vice president was apparently frozen out while the rest of Trump’s inner circle took charge of major responsibilities in the planning of the unauthorized strikes, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Vance, usually a constant presence on X, has gone silent on his personal account since the bombings. His official VP account has only reposted a photo of Vance monitoring the strikes from the Situation Room alongside spy chief Tulsi Gabbard, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
On Friday, Vance met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who had been a principal mediator in the failed U.S.–Iran negotiations and was pushing for more time for the talks.
The last-ditch meeting proved to be futile, of course, as Trump pressed ahead with his attack from his Mar-a-Lago resort alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while Vance reportedly followed events via a secure line from the Situation Room in D.C.
Trump and Vance campaigned on a “no new wars” pledge in 2024. But Trump has repeatedly shown a willingness to abandon that promise, whereas Vance—who is widely expected to run for president in 2028—has appeared more wary about America’s involvement in foreign wars.
On Thursday, Vance described himself as a “skeptic of foreign military interventions” in an interview with The Washington Post and suggested the label still fits Trump.
Just two days later, Trump was letting bombs rain down on Tehran and calling for regime change.
The split has reportedly strained their relationship. Sources say the vice president’s reticence about a conflict with Iran was seen by the president as a sign of disloyalty.
