Republicans Turn On JD Vance Amid Growing Online ‘Never Vance’ Revolt
Vice President JD Vance is facing rising criticism from within his own party, ranging from an online “Never Vance” campaign questioning his fitness for office to Senate Republicans’ frustration over his limited presence on Capitol Hill.
The Washington Post reported that as Vance weighs a decision on a 2028 presidential run, he is facing a barrage of online attacks from within his party that his allies believe are part of a coordinated attempt to damage him politically. The criticism comes as Vance also draws scrutiny over his handling of Middle East diplomacy and his degree of engagement with congressional Republicans, exposing multiple fronts of intraparty tension.
Senate Republicans Frustrated Over Absences
Separately, Republicans in Congress are reportedly souring on Vance, feeling he has put media appearances ahead of his duty to help resolve intraparty disputes that have bogged down the GOP’s legislative agenda. With midterms approaching and divisions within a thin majority stalling Republican priorities, many in the party had hoped Vance would use his position as president of the Senate to serve as a liaison between Congress and the White House.
Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Ann Strassel wrote that lawmakers “can count on a few fingers the times” Vance has set foot in the Capitol, according to the New Republic’s account of the column.
A Split Over Israel and Iran
Republicans on Capitol Hill are also divided over Vance’s rebuke of Israeli officials who criticized a US-Iran memorandum of understanding that Vance is helping to lead, which set a 60-day window for peace talks and paused hostilities including a ceasefire in Lebanon. The agreement drew sharp criticism from some Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who argued Israel is not a party to the deal and is not bound by its ceasefire terms. Vance responded in a press briefing that if he were a member of the Israeli Cabinet, he “might not be attacking the only powerful ally” Israel has “in the entire world.”
Not all Republicans view Vance’s approach critically. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD, said he thinks “it would be fair to say that we consider Israel to be a very close ally,” adding that “you can only have conversations that are direct with your closest allies, so I think it points to the fact that clearly we still see them as very close.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala, said the disagreement reflects the difficulty of “trying to get a deal done” while “Israel’s not agreeing to a lot of it.”
Vance’s 2028 Positioning
Vance began 2026 with a commanding early lead over potential 2028 Republican rivals, and has largely sidestepped questions about his plans, telling NBC News he would “never want the focus on the future to come at the expense of this job.”
A person close to Vance dismissed rivals’ early positioning as “silly and early,” saying “the midterms haven’t happened yet and won’t for 11 months.” As the party’s finance chair for the midterms, Vance is expected to campaign extensively for GOP candidates this year.
