Since Friday, February 28, JD VANCE Place took a whole different dimension. In front of the cameras around the world, the American vice-president set an ambush to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, triggering an altercation rarely seen in the oval office. “Vance is positioned as Trump’s attack dog,” said the New York Times.
For the past few weeks, the vice-president seems to show that he too has been able to make noise and create shock sequences. Already in mid-February, the ex-somenator of Ohio had amazed European officials by declaring during a speech in Munich that they should end the isolation of far-right parties through the continent. Teacher, specialist in American policy at Paris Sciences et Lettres University, Amy Greene sees in the change in behavior by JD Vance her desire to “exist in an administration made up of strong personalities”, while caressing the ambition to become the “Trump successor”
L’Express: During the trip of Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House, JD Vance was particularly virulent, is it surprising from a vice-president?
Amy Greene: Yes. We can expect that a president who receives another head of state leads the interview, which was the case for more than half an hour before the speaking of Vance. The fact that the vice-president adopts such a virulent speech on this occasion is unusual. Especially since the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, seemed to be erased next to it. This positioning of the vice-president in such a context is very rare, because it is a function where it is customary to be rather in the shadow of the president.
However, JD Vance has been taking up more and more space for several weeks on different aspects, within the country and abroad. The ex-somenator of Ohio had shocked the Europeans at the Munich conference with his frontal criticisms. A little before, JD Vance had insisted on the fact that justice was not legitimate to force the action of the president towards the executive. JD Vance’s outings are increasingly dependent, when he said he was not necessarily going to adopt the same style as Donald Trump.
How to explain this evolution in his behavior?
There are several issues. First of all, he wants to impose himself within an administration made up of strong personalities, particularly Donald Trump himself and Elon Musk. For the moment, the vice-president wants to show himself to the service of the Trump project and become a versatile attacker on all fronts. This allows Vance not only to gain an essential place within the team, but also to occupy a central place in the media landscape.
And the second issue for JD Vance is the next presidential election. Indeed, Donald Trump will not be able to run for a third term and Elon Musk will be unable to succeed him, since he is not an American citizen. Thus the way seems to be cleared for JD Vance which could be positioned as the obvious successor of Trumpism within the Republican clan.
But the position of vice-president rarely leads to power …
It’s true. We still have the examples of George HW Bush and Joe Biden, but the role of vice-president is not a natural springboard towards the presidency. To get there, JD Vance must exist politically, without walking on the feet of the tenant of the White House, even if the latter will quickly put it back in his place. It is generally an inexpensive balance game for vice-presidents who nourished their own presidential ambitions thereafter. This actually supposes being loyal to Donald Trump and having his confidence to be entrusted with signifying files without giving the impression of wanting to make him shade.
But at the same time, Donald Trump can take advantage of JD Vance’s shock sequences?
Yes… he uses JD Vance as a kind of spokesperson to declare things that he could not say. He serves him a little shield. What takes precedence over Trump is loyalty. To this is also added that JD Vance allows him to strengthen the links with members of the Republican camp in the Senate where he has kept good relations. This can help Trump’s policy formally advance.
For his part, Elon Musk would also see JD Vance with a good eye that he recently described as “next president of the United States”. Indeed, the pair he forms with the 47th president is not threatened by the presence of the vice-president. They both occupy a distinct function: while Elon Musk was called for the “efficiency” component of federal agencies, JD Vance serves as an institutional anchoring for Trumpism. Admittedly, Donald Trump said that he did not see anyone as a successor “for the moment”, but it is logical that he does not double a successor immediately when he has just been reinvested for four years.
Is JD Vance distant in terms of Donald Trump’s convictions?
JD VANCE had comments, in the past, quite clear-sized with regard to the current president, but he still fought to advance the Trumpist agenda. On several occasions, he defended Donald Trump so that these past statements fade. Obviously, if JD Vance accepts and assumes to carry his ideology, there is also an undeniable calculation behind, since Trumpism is the dominant political proposal among the Republicans and that which allowed them to reconquer the popular vote in 2024.
Does JD Vance influence Donald Trump on the Ukrainian file?
It’s hard to say. Certainly, JD Vance has long expressed his opposition as to American funding for the Ukrainian effort. He broke with his party in April 2024 to vote against a bill in order to finance the war effort, even if this text ended up being validated. Vance also said he had nothing to do with what would happen to Ukraine. He probably encouraged Trump to move away from kyiv, but he didn’t need Vance to get there. One thing is certain: within the oval office, Donald Trump did not hesitate to come immediately in support of his vice-president which led to an exchange which quickly degenerated.
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