Vance accuses press of 'driving a wedge' between him and Trump; defends Iran war, blasts 'dumb' predecessors
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Vance accuses press of 'driving a wedge' between him and Trump; defends Iran war, blasts 'dumb' predecessors")
US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance listen to a repoerter's question after Trump signed an executive order on fraud in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
JD Vance accused reporters of trying to "drive a wedge" between him and President Donald Trump before asserting that the Iran War is different because "we have a smart president" compared to "dumb" predecessors. Here's what he said.
US Vice President JD Vance on Monday (Mar 16) found himself walking a political tightrope in the Oval Office, defending President Donald Trump's war in Iran while pushing back against questions about his past opposition to foreign military interventions. Standing beside Donald Trump, Vance was asked whether he fully supported the ongoing conflict with Tehran. Before becoming Trump's VP, Vance built much of his political identity around scepticism of US involvement in overseas conflicts, particularly after his brief deployment in Iraq as a Marine.
Vance accuses the press of trying to drive a wedge between him and Trump
When asked about his opinion on Operation Epic Fury and the US-Israel war on Iran, Vance responded with a jab at the press.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” Vance told a reporter, accusing journalists of trying to drive a wedge between him and the president. “You’re trying to drive a wedge between members of the administration, between me and the president.”
Then vs Now: 'One big difference' in US wars
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Defending Trump, Vance, who earlier reports suggested was not in favour of the US-Israel-Iran war, claimed there was "one big difference" in US wars now vs before.
“One big difference" between now and the past is that "we have a smart president,” Vance said. “In the past, we’ve had dumb presidents.” Trump, seated nearby, smiled and even winked toward someone in the room as the vice president said this.
Also read | Did Trump snub Putin’s plan to transfer Iran's 450kg nuclear material to Russia? Here's what reports suggest
Vance's U-turn on war
A war veteran within the Republican Party, Vance has long been seen as a leading anti-interventionist. As recently as 2023, he praised Trump’s reluctance to start new wars, describing that restraint as “the enduring legacy of Mr Trump’s first term.”
But the conflict with Iran has forced a shift in tone. Vance now argues the situation is fundamentally different because of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “What the president has said consistently, going back to 2015, and I agreed with him, is that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Reports last week suggested that Vance privately urged a more aggressive military strategy against Iran. Allies of the vice president quickly pushed back, insisting he had expressed concerns behind closed doors about a wider war.
His relative silence on social media during the early days of the strikes also caught the attention of supporters who expected him to weigh in quickly. Vance now insists the conflict will not turn into another “forever war,” a phrase often used to describe the long US campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
