The president was careful to point out that his number two left out an important detail.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Donald Trump hit his runner-up with a dubious one-two punch about his long tenure, citing the war in Iran as the main factor in Democrats’ historic midterm victory.
Trump, 80, told reporters Sunday evening that Vice President JD Vance left out an important clarification in his comments on the war with Iran, shortly before reiterating a similar position in his speech. 60 minutes interview broadcast less than an hour later.
“A lot of people didn’t like his comments, but I didn’t,” the president told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. “He was right, except for one thing. He should have made another statement, one that I think is very important: If you had to do it again, would you do it again? The answer is yes.”
He continued: “I can tell you that if we had to do it again, it would go down historically, for history, as one of the best things we’ve ever done. Because if they ever had nuclear weapons, they would blow up the world. You know why? Because they’re crazy.”
Vance’s communications director, Taylor Van Kirk, responded to a clip of Trump’s comments, emphasizing that the president agreed with his number two.
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“Dishonest out-of-context clip from Rupar again!” Van Kirk wrote.
The vice president’s communications director made it clear that her boss and Trump were on the same page.
The White House’s “Rapid Response” briefing also weighed in, clarifying that Trump repeatedly agreed with Vance’s analysis.
“Many people are determined to create division where none exists, but the fact is that there is ZERO DAYLIGHT between @POTUS and @VP on Iran – as @POTUS has repeatedly stated,” the account wrote.
Vance, 42, shared a lengthy post Wednesday detailing what he believes caused Democrats’ resounding victory in the midterms.
The vice president cited frustration with the cost of living and America’s relationship with Israel, as well as the war in Iran, as key factors in why voters have shifted to the Democratic Party.
Vance stood with the president on the war in Iran, until the day after a massive midterm defeat in both houses of Congress.
“The reason we lost was the war. The President himself said so last night,” Vance wrote on
“But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here has to start there,” he added.
On Sunday evening, barely an hour after his comments to the press, the president appeared in a prime-time interview on 60 minuteswhere he shared a similar view.
Asked by conservative journalist Ross Douthat about Vance’s message that “the reason we lost was the war,” Trump reiterated his position.
“He asked me what I thought about it. I said, ‘You write what you want. By the way, what are you going to write?'” the president explained in an interview recorded Friday. “The one thing I wish he’d said there – if he felt it, and you should have asked him about it – but if you had to do it again, would you do it?”
Trump added: “You know, it’s part of a decision-making process. And my answer is a resounding yes because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon. I think, historically, it’s going to be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not. But you know, I have to do what’s good for our country. If they had a nuclear weapon during my term in office, I would get a lot more criticism than what happened.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and Vance’s office for comment.
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