Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after Hegseth clashes
Vance stood by his friendship with Carlson at Thursday’s press conference, saying only that he disagrees with Carlson “on many things” without specifying which. The Wall Street Journal’s Politics newsletter, published Friday, reported that Carlson “once a huge Trump supporter, has had a massive fallout with Trump, in part because of the Iran War.” Vance’s defense of the friendship “has unnerved a lot of Jewish Republicans,” the newsletter reported.
Separately, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll — whom the Journal described as “very close” with Vance — resigned after repeatedly clashing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to the newsletter written by Damian Paletta, the Journal’s Washington coverage chief.
Vance faced a range of other questions at the same press conference. On Monday, Trump had said people who oppose data centers are “backwards and poor”; when asked about the remark Thursday, Vance did not call anyone names and instead framed the issue as concerns about rising utility bills. Asked whether the Iran War would be over by the midterms, Vance replied, “I don’t know.” On Monday, Vance had also engaged in what the newsletter described as a “verbal UFC fight” with Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate.
Rep. Matt Gaetz posted on social media that “JD Vance is showing he can lead our entire movement in 2028,” and Vance said “nice things” about Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), whose names have been circulated as part of “the 2028 presidential sweepstakes.” Cruz is “openly auditioning for the job and for Trump’s blessing,” the newsletter added.
Running for president as a sitting vice president is “both a blessing and a curse,” the newsletter wrote, noting that Al Gore and Kamala Harris did not secure their party’s nominations after serving as vice president and that Mike Pence had no success in his bid. Joe Biden, by contrast, won the presidency after a four-year hiatus. Vance “will have to build a coalition that is different from Trump’s while still staying in the president’s good graces,” the newsletter added.
Vance has what the newsletter called “a built-in advantage” — a “prime opportunity next week to electrify GOP voters at the midterm convention in Dallas.” The “big question” is which speaking slot Vance will receive at the 2028 Republican convention, scheduled to be held across the state in Houston.