J.D. Vance Accuses Reporter of Trying to 'Drive a Wedge' Between Him and 'Smart' Donald Trump in Fiery Exchange

As rumors swirl about his opposition to the war in Iran, Vice President J.D. Vance accused RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann of trying to "drive a wedge" between him and President Donald Trump.

The exchange occurred in the Oval Office during a press event on Monday, March 17, where Vance was being put in charge of a new fraud task force.

The rumors are rooted in the vice president’s well-documented history of non-interventionism and specific past statements against a conflict with Iran, and the confrontation followed recent reports and public admissions from Trump himself that Vance had initially been "less enthusiastic" about the military action in Iran.

Wegmann questioned the veeep on whether he was "completely on board" with the ongoing U.S. military operation in Iran, citing Vance's well-known past skepticism of foreign military interventions.

“Given your past skepticism of foreign adventurism, are you completely on board with the current war on Iran?” Wegmann asked Vance.

The vice president replied, “And look, I think that I know what you’re trying to do, Phil, you’re trying to drive a wedge between members of the administration, between me and the president.”

To reconcile his current support for the war with his previous anti-interventionist views, Vance argued that the "one big difference" is that the U.S. now has a "smart president," whereas past conflicts were led by "dumb presidents.”

He emphasized that he and Trump have consistently agreed since 2015 that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“What the president said consistently, going back to 2015, and I agreed with him, is that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. We have taken this military action under the president’s leadership,” Vance explained.

“I think all of us, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, should pray for success and pray for the safety of our troops. That’s the approach that I’ve taken — make it as successful as possible,” he added.

Wegmann continued to press and followed up, asking, “So there’s no hesitation, given your past statements, with the current operation?”

Vance snapped and said, “What do you mean there’s no hesitation with my past statements?”

“Given your skepticism of foreign adventurism, you were a critic of the global war on terror, previously,” Wegmann clarified.

“Well, I think one big difference, Phil, is that we have a smart president, whereas in the past we’ve had dumb presidents. And I trust President Trump to get the job done, to do a good job for the American people, and to make sure that the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated. Absolutely,” Vance said.

The POTUS, who was seated nearby, reportedly smiled and winked at someone in the room as Vance defended him.

The president then jumped in and said, “Look, J.D.’s been great, but here’s the simple thing, and I have, you know, some people —, I don’t want wars. I want wars less than almost anybody. Peace through strength.”