Vice President JD Vance gave one of the most ludicrous press conferences in memory this past Thursday.
Vance tried desperately to defend the MOU he helped negotiate with the Iranian mullahs. At one point, a reporter asked him a very logical question: What is in writing regarding the Iranian nuclear program? Vance responded, “Words don’t matter.” Some of it is in writing, and some of it is not, he said. Some of it is in the form of a “gentleman‘s agreement.” Actions, not words, were what mattered, said Vance. That may be one of the dumbest things ever stated by a very bright man.
Of course, we can’t trust what the Iranians say, but you need to have the words written down on paper that set the parameters of the deal, so you can later determine whether they are abiding by it.
The VP was not done piling up the damage. Towards the end of the press conference, he took the bait from a reporter and went after Israel. He bashed members of the Netanyahu cabinet for criticizing this MOU. Vance chastised them, claiming that they have no other friends in the world but America, and they should just shut up and accept whatever Vance and Trump negotiated.
The comments exemplified that Vance already harbored an indifference for Israel, the same way he exhibited contempt for Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
Vance is an isolationist who doesn’t see the United States’ role as a world power promoting democracy and the international rule of law.
If this deal turns out to be a clunker, it will be an albatross around Vance‘s neck for the remainder of his political career.
Let’s not forget that it was the Iranians themselves who made it clear that they wished to negotiate with Vance and not Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Amazingly, the president acceded to that request.) That is because they perceived Vance as soft on this issue. He doesn’t want confrontation and would be willing to cut any deal to have the U.S. cut and run.
Vance may be placating his buddy Tucker Carlson, who is the ring leader of the America Retreat movement, but he will wind up alienating the vast majority of Americans who believe that this deal is likely to blow up with no agreement to resolve the Iranians’ nuclear ambitions, while leaving the mullahs much richer and more empowered.