J.D. Vance found himself politically isolated following the resignation of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
Following Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation, US Vice President J.D. Vance has found himself even more isolated within Donald Trump’s administration. The Daily Mail reports this, citing sources.
In her resignation letter, Tulsi Gabbard stated that the reason for her decision was her husband’s diagnosis with a rare form of cancer.
At the same time, the publication’s sources link the personnel changes to the issue of Iran and disagreements within the administration regarding foreign policy.
According to the Daily Mail, following Hubbard’s resignation, Vance has effectively been left without his key ally, who supported non-intervention in foreign conflicts.
One source close to the US president told the publication that “Vance is not a significant figure in the West Wing”.
Against this backdrop, according to the sources, the influence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the White House has grown. The publication claims that Rubio is involved in planning an invasion of Cuba, whilst Vance is engaged in negotiations regarding Iran.
Daily Mail sources also claim that Vance’s approach to foreign policy is increasingly at odds with that of Donald Trump, who has recently been stepping up his war-like rhetoric.
One White House official told the publication that Trump does not support a ‘restrained’ style of foreign policy.
“He’s loud, he’s active. These people prefer to speak softly and carry a big stick, but Trump speaks loudly and carries a huge cannon,” the source said.
According to The New York Times, in February Vance privately urged Trump not to authorise full-scale strikes against Iran. He suggested limiting the operation to a localised action and warned of the risk of a large-scale war and significant casualties.
Donald Trump himself later acknowledged differences with the vice-president, stating that Vance had initially been “less enthusiastic” about the war and had assessed the decision to strike “philosophically somewhat differently”.
The Daily Mail reports that Tulsi Gabbard, like Vance, was considered one of the factors holding back Trump’s more aggressive foreign policy moves.
However, the publication’s sources claim that Marco Rubio’s influence on the president now exceeds that of Vance.
“Rubio has more influence than Vance. The president listens to him. Vance has long been at odds with the general line,” said one of the sources.
At the same time, the source noted that backing an unpopular war could eventually weaken Rubio’s own position and cause discontent among Trump’s supporters.
According to the Daily Mail, there is also discussion in the West Wing about whether Vance should withdraw from the 2028 presidential race as a tactical move.
The publication’s sources believe this could allow him to distance himself from the decisions of recent years and return to high-level politics later.
At the same time, another source close to Vance told the Daily Mail that sitting out the 2028 election could be a mistake.
“Anyone who wants to be a serious presidential candidate has a very short window of opportunity. If you don’t take it, it may never open again,” the source said.
The article also notes that in 2032, Vance would have to compete against the incumbent president. Furthermore, for a campaign in 2032 or 2036, he would have to remain politically influential for a long period whilst out of elected office.
Following Gabbard’s resignation, Joe Kent, whom the publication describes as another of Vance’s allies, also left the administration. According to the Daily Mail, he submitted his resignation due to his opposition to the war against Iran.
In a statement following Gabbard’s resignation, Vance described her as a “valuable asset to the administration” and a “dedicated confidante”.
At the same time, the vice-president’s spokesperson denied reports of Vance’s political isolation.
“This story is nothing more than a flimsy compilation of completely unreliable sources who have no idea what they are talking about,” Vance’s representative told the Daily Mail.
