Vice President JD Vance has clapped back at critics who don’t think he has what it takes to deal with an adversary as hostile as Iran.
“Just two days ago I spent over an hour on The View, so I actually have a great experience in very hostile negotiations,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“(Co-host) Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians, and she and I are best friends now.”
The humorous comment—made days after Vance faced a grilling on the show as he tried to promote his new book—came as he was tasked with selling Donald Trump’s embattled plan to end the war.
The US-Iran deal framework is expected to be signed by Vance at a ceremony on Friday.
But it has already drawn criticism from foreign policy hawks, pro-Israel groups and some Republicans who argue the agreement grants Tehran too much in exchange for promises that may prove difficult to verify.
“This will go down as a tremendous foreign policy blunder,” said GOP Senator Bill Cassidy, who recently lost his seat after Trump endorsed his opponent in his primary race.
Other Republicans too afraid to challenge Trump have been pointing the finger at the vice president, with Senator Lindsey Graham, for instance, describing him as the “architect” of the deal in a not-too-subtle post.
Trump, meanwhile, joked at the G7 that he would take credit if the deal succeeds but blame Vance if it fails.
“You better be careful, JD,” he joked at a press conference near Geneva on Wednesday.
But speaking in the White House briefing room on Thursday, Vance rejected suggestions he was being set up as the fall guy, telling reporters: “I think the president was joking, as he often does.
“I think the entire team has worked very well on this, and we’ve got this thing to a very good place for the American people,” he added.
Under the framework, Iran would regain access to frozen assets, receive sanctions relief, and could eventually access a $300 billion private fund designed to trigger investment into Iran.
And while Iran would be required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it would still retain some leverage over the critical oil chokepoint.
Broader questions about missiles, regional proxies, and long-term enforcement remain unresolved, with some critics calling the deal a monumental strategic failure.
Senator Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said this provision, “though not funded by U.S. taxpayers, would make Iran’s payoff under President Obama’s 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison.”
But Vance insisted that the only way Iran would get any benefit, including from the $300 billion fund, “if they comply fully and change their behavior.”
As for polls showing most Americans don’t believe Iran will change?
“Well, maybe that’s true, and if so, they don’t get any of the benefits of the bargain. But isn’t it worth trying?” Vance replied.
The briefing followed Vance’s appearance this week on ABC’s The View to promote his new book, only to find himself having to explain Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
In a sign of the challenge Vance faces at the 2028 presidential election, MAGA’s heir apparent was also forced to explain Trump’s description of affordability being a “hoax”, the stigmatization of Black people in America and his own previous description of Trump as “America’s Hitler”.
But it was the rapid-fire grilling he faced from The View’s six female co-hosts about the handling of the Epstein files that led the vice president to practically beg for a change of topic.
“Let’s talk about the book. I’m here to sell books, please!” he urged.
Despite the interrogation, co-host Joy Behar surprised some listeners by speaking warmly about Vance on a podcast after the show, and even told him during a commercial break that he should run for president because he has a good vibe.
“For a Republican,” she said when asked about it on the podcast. “Mind you, I’m not a Republican.”
