Political analyst Mark Halperin has noted that Vice President JD Vance’s tenure stands out as markedly different from that of other modern-era vice presidents.
In the early weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, Vance has emerged as the most active vice president since Dick Cheney.
Speaking on The Morning Meeting, Halperin emphasized that while Vance’s term is still in its early stages, he has already distinguished himself in positive ways compared to both Cheney and former Vice President Al Gore, and he did so again during a combative meeting on Friday in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We never know what’s gonna happen. He could crash and burn. Trump could turn against him, although he’ll never — Don Jr., and [former Fox News host] Tucker [Carlson] will never turn against him,” Halperin said.
Both of them reportedly recommended to Trump that he choose Vance as his running mate.
“And so, I will say, if you look at the modern history, influential vice presidents who had great relationships with the president — little tension and super sway with the staff and the ability to be their own person but also a team player, you can look at Al Gore. You can look at Cheney,” Halperin remarked.
“This is unprecedented in our time, what’s happening right now — his influence and the fact that everybody likes him. And he knows his lane,” he continued. “There’s no danger of what happened with Gore, with, you know, wanting to start his own political operation.
“No danger of what happened with Cheney, where Cheney overshadowed the president in some ways after 9/11. Like, this is unprecedented what’s happening here. And he’s proven to be so skillful,” Halperin continued.
Vance has taken the lead on key issues, including negotiating a deal to prevent a nationwide TikTok ban, challenging European elites, and leveraging his Senate connections to help advance critical cabinet nominees.
He is also a staunch advocate for the Trump administration’s priorities, serving as a chief spokesman for the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and defending the president’s agenda.
“Vance carries credibility with so many of these senators, and at a minimum, can be a radar for how they’re viewing things and inform the White House in terms of its own legislative strategy. So yeah, he definitely plays multiple parts for Trump,” Republican strategist Scott Jennings told the Daily Caller News Foundation earlier. “Obviously, communications is public-facing, and there’s also behind-the-scenes legislative strategy. It was a great pick for Trump.”
Podcast host Joe Rogan praised Vice President JD Vance in January after his CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan, calling it “amazing” and “a masterclass.” Rogan credited Vance with skillfully countering Brennan’s talking points. Vance appeared on Face the Nation on January 26, where he fielded questions on topics such as the economy and immigration.
“He’s great. Thank God for that guy,” Rogan said. “He’s so good at dismantling those dopey people and just breaking down — she was like, ‘This is a country built on immigrants.’ He’s like, ‘Yes, that doesn’t mean that 240 years later we have to have the dumbest immigration policy possible.’”
Meanwhile, Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller shredded Zelenskyy for his behavior during his Oval Office meeting.
“I don’t think anybody had any idea that Zelenskyy would be so impertinent, so disrespectful, so insulting to the United States of America,” Miller told Fox News host Jesse Waters on Friday.
“Look, this is one of the great moments in the history of American diplomacy, the way that President Trump and JD Vance stood up for American interests on the world stage, the way that President Trump defended Americans after years of being fleeced and abused and taken advantage of and taken for granted, millions of American hearts swelled with overflowing pride today to watch President Trump put Zelenskyy in his place,” he added.