Vice President JD Vance was supposed to stay quiet after his recent podcast appearances. That was the plan.
Instead, he walked into a closed room in Las Vegas on Monday night and spoke freely to Republican Jews. The Daily Wire obtained a recording of this off-the-record event, where the Vice President addressed his critics and explained his stance on the U.S.-Israel alliance.
The crowd was not there to hear a stump speech. They were there to hear a direct answer to growing questions about his loyalty. Norm Coleman, the National Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, opened the session by reminding everyone to keep their phones in their pockets. He called it a conversation among close personal friends.
According to reports, Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes are not identical in the room’s view. This distinction mattered to the audience. He drew a hard line on those who engage in what he calls a blood guilt attitude. He acknowledged that many in the room might disagree with what Tucker Carlson or Megyn Kelly have said. But he insisted that the Vice President must be willing to bring his message to any person.
Tensions had been high before this summit. ABC News reported that Vance made sharp comments in recent months that contrasted with the party’s traditional support for Israel. In June, he told reporters he saw Israeli Cabinet members criticizing a deal to pause the war with Iran. He even suggested that Donald J. Trump is the only head of state sympathetic to Israel right now.
In a subsequent interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Vance expanded on his points. Vance asserted that individuals within the Israeli government manipulate American public opinion to sustain the war. Americans upset by this situation should direct their frustration toward American leaders swayed by such efforts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to ABC News about those comments. He said he spoke with Vance and that they straightened it out. Netanyahu noted that the policy of attacking their only powerful ally is not their policy.
While the foreign policy talk drew attention, the room also focused on domestic wins. Norm Coleman expressed gratitude to Vance for casting the 51st vote on the Secretary of War nomination. Coleman called Vance critical in that nomination. He noted the nomination took out Badawi without a single casualty.
Vance responded with warmth for the nominee. He said, “I love Pete. A very, very dear friend and a good guy.” He explained that the vote was a lot of work. He observed that those desiring a bad outcome understood the significance of this particular vote. They fought for it, did not give up, and succeeded.
Coleman added that the Vice President helped him even when folks on his own team went astray. The room heard that the count to 50 is standard, but the Vice President made the difference.
Vance also addressed a specific demographic shift. He told the crowd there is a growing suspicion among under-40s of the U.S.-Israel relationship. He argued that the only way forward is to articulate why the alliance is in the best interest of the United States. He said they must get out there and talk about those benefits.
The recording ends with a focus on progress. Coleman stated that today was not primary day. He said today was progress day for JD Vance with the Jewish community. The Vice President stood his ground on his views while reaffirming his support for the state.
