U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is ready to take over from Donald Trump as leader of the American right and to seek the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in two years, the British daily The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday, citing its own sources.
The paper cites Vance’s remarks after the Republican Party’s heavy defeat in Tuesday’s congressional elections. The vice president made clear that the war with Iran was the cause of the loss, and he challenged Trump’s statement that the price was worth paying to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. According to the Telegraph’s sources, it was more than an assessment of the situation. He wanted to signal to supporters of the Make America Great Again movement that he is ready to inherit Trump’s mantle, and to remind them that he himself had opposed the attack on Iran.
“This is the moment when J.D. decided to go his own way, saying that in this case he was the one who was right. No one challenged that. J.D. came out of it the winner and is now the leader of the American right,” the source said.
According to people familiar with the situation, by deciding to distance himself from Trump so soon after the results were announced, Vance showed that he believes that, with a possible run in two years in mind, it is crucial to distance himself from the president as strongly as possible, especially on election night, when the narrative could still be shaped.
The Daily Telegraph notes that this means taking a big risk for Vance, because although Trump has not yet responded, he is known to value loyalty above all. (PAP)
