Tensions in the Trump camp – Vance and Rubio affected

Dispute over the Iran war

Trump’s crown princes are fighting for their political survival

The war against Iran is causing unrest in the Trump camp. JD Vance and Marco Rubio are fighting not only for unity – but also for their own future.

There are said to be tensions in US President Donald Trump’s environment due to the war against Iran. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seeking support in Congress, Vice President JD Vance is coming under pressure in his own camp. This is reported by the US magazine “Politico”. Republicans are therefore discussing whether Vance’s course fits with some of the principles he has long claimed to have held.

In recent years, Vance has made a name for himself as a prominent voice in the reticent foreign policy wing of the Republicans. In 2023, he publicly praised Trump for not starting “any new wars” during his first term in office. He also argued in the 2024 presidential election campaign that a military conflict with Iran was not in American interests.

After the attacks that have now taken place, the Vice President is keeping a relatively low profile. He initially only spoke publicly on social media and later in a television interview. There he defended the action as a targeted measure to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. A prolonged war in the Middle East is not to be expected.

Parts of the so-called “anti-interventionist” camp are irritated. A representative of a conservative organization that promotes a dovish foreign policy told the US magazine Politico that the development was “pretty bad for Vance.” He had to take on the difficult task of convincing skeptical allies of the president’s course. Other voices point out that the office of vice president naturally demands loyalty to the president.

Observers still see a political cost. Vance is considered a possible Republican presidential candidate for 2028. If he fails to integrate critics in his own camp, this could complicate his efforts to build a broad conservative coalition. At the same time, some of his supporters are betting that Trump’s course could change again – as in the past.

The Iran war is also a concern for Republicans in Congress. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and other government officials say they are trying to inform MPs about the background to the attacks. On Tuesday they want to brief both senators and members of the House of Representatives in confidential meetings. The Constitution actually requires Congress to authorize the president before he starts a war – that didn’t happen. There is criticism of this and also of Rubio’s approach. Like Vance, the Secretary of State is said to have ambitions for the presidency.