Newsom Challenges Vice President JD Vance to Debate as 2028 Race Looms
Newsom Challenges Vice President JD Vance to Debate as 2028 Race Looms
California Governor Gavin Newsom on 20–21 June publicly challenged U.S. Vice President JD Vance to a one-on-one debate, intensifying a dispute that flared during Vance’s visit to Los Angeles. Newsom issued the invitation after the vice president criticized California’s leadership at a press conference and referred to Democratic Senator Alex Padilla as “José,” a remark Newsom called disrespectful. Vance was in the state for Republican fund-raising events and to receive an award from the conservative Claremont Institute. The exchange adds an early skirmish to the 2028 presidential landscape: Newsom is barred from seeking another gubernatorial term and is widely viewed as a likely Democratic contender, while Vance, who also serves as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, is considered a prospective GOP candidate. Neither officeholder has announced a campaign, but the proposed debate would mark the first direct confrontation between two figures expected to shape the next White House race.
MMario Nawfal
1 day
Vice President JD Vance Leads 2028 GOP Primary With 46% Support in Emerson Poll, Ahead of Rubio and DeSantis
Vice President JD Vance Leads 2028 GOP Primary With 46% Support in Emerson Poll, Ahead of Rubio and DeSantis
Vice President JD Vance has emerged as the clear front-runner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, according to multiple recent polls, including a prominent Emerson College survey conducted in June 2025. Vance leads the Republican primary with approximately 46% support, significantly ahead of his closest rivals, Senator Marco Rubio, who has 12%, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with 9%. This marks a notable increase from November 2024, when Vance held 30% support. The Emerson poll also highlights that 46% of Republicans consider Vance the best candidate for the next presidential election. Additionally, Vance has surpassed Donald Trump Jr. in some polls, capturing 36% support among Republicans. The data indicate a strong early advantage for Vance in the GOP field, positioning him well ahead of other potential candidates for the 2028 nomination. On the Democratic side, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is noted as a leading contender according to the same polling sources.
TThe Hill
11 days
VP JD Vance Presses House GOP to Pass Border Security Bill
VP JD Vance Presses House GOP to Pass Border Security Bill
Vice President JD Vance called on House Republicans late Wednesday to support the "One Big Beautiful Bill," a measure he said would give the president expanded resources and authority to strengthen U.S. border security. According to Vance, the Republican‐controlled chamber is one vote short of securing a majority, with ten other GOP lawmakers still undeclared. "It must pass," he said in repeated remarks carried by several outlets. Backers of the legislation contend it is needed to reverse policies they blame for a rise in illegal border crossings. The bill’s opponents have not yet issued detailed public comments, and no final vote has been scheduled.
MMario Nawfal
6 days
Norwegian Tourist Mads Mikkelsen Denied US Entry at Newark, Deported After ICE Finds JD Vance Meme; DHS Cites Drug Use
Norwegian Tourist Mads Mikkelsen Denied US Entry at Newark, Deported After ICE Finds JD Vance Meme; DHS Cites Drug Use
A 21-year-old Norwegian tourist named Mads Mikkelsen was denied entry to the United States and deported after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Newark Airport found a meme of U.S. Vice President JD Vance on his phone. The meme depicted Vance with a bald head and a cartoonish face. Mikkelsen claimed that he was detained, strip-searched, and interrogated about the meme, with officers allegedly threatening him with a $5,000 fine or up to five years in prison if he did not provide his phone password. He described the incident as harassment and an abuse of power. However, U.S. authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP, have denied that the meme was the reason for his denial of entry. Instead, they stated that Mikkelsen was refused entry due to admitted drug use, specifically two instances of cannabis consumption in locations where it is legal. The case has drawn international attention and criticism regarding U.S. border enforcement practices and the treatment of travelers, with some observers highlighting concerns about professionalism within DHS agencies. The incident occurred on June 11, 2025, when Mikkelsen arrived at Newark Airport for a vacation but was detained and subsequently deported back to Oslo.
TTIME
13 days
Senate Passes $0 NFA Tax Stamp 51-50 with J.D. Vance Tie-Break; House Pushes Full Repeal Amid Parliamentarian Dispute and Texas Lawsuit
Senate Passes $0 NFA Tax Stamp 51-50 with J.D. Vance Tie-Break; House Pushes Full Repeal Amid Parliamentarian Dispute and Texas Lawsuit
The U.S. Senate recently passed H.R. 1 with a narrow 51-50 vote, led by Senator J.D. Vance, to reduce the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax stamps for suppressors and short-barreled firearms to zero dollars. This provision, however, only partially addresses gun owners' demands, who are calling for a full repeal of the NFA tax and registration requirements. Gun rights advocates and some Republican lawmakers are urging Senate leadership, including Senator John Thune and Senator J.D. Vance, to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian, who previously ruled that a full repeal of the NFA tax would violate the Byrd Rule. The House of Representatives is considering amendments, such as one proposed by Representative Clyde, to include a complete repeal of the NFA excise tax on suppressors and short-barreled firearms in H.R. 1. Democrats in the House Rules Committee have acknowledged that the language in the House and Senate bills effectively repeals a federal excise tax, contradicting the Parliamentarian's interpretation. Gun rights groups have escalated their efforts by filing a lawsuit in Texas federal court, arguing that all federal gun laws related to suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other NFA-regulated firearms are unconstitutional following the elimination of taxes on these items in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Supporters of the repeal highlight the removal of the $200 tax stamp as a significant victory for Second Amendment rights and criticize the NFA for failing to enhance public safety.
NNewsweek
7 days
VP JD Vance Flips Middle Finger at Ohio Dinner, Promotes New ‘Trump Doctrine’
VP JD Vance Flips Middle Finger at Ohio Dinner, Promotes New ‘Trump Doctrine’
U.S. Vice President JD Vance punctuated a keynote speech at the Ohio Republican Party dinner in Lima on Tuesday night by raising his middle finger while joking about “pink-haired” critics in Washington. The gesture, delivered before a crowd of some 950 party activists and broadcast live on several networks, drew immediate condemnation from opponents and added new controversy to an administration already sparring with Iran and domestic critics over its rhetoric. The obscenity overshadowed substantive portions of Vance’s remarks in which he defended President Donald Trump’s weekend B-2 strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and laid out what he called the “Trump Doctrine.” Under the rubric, Vance said, the United States should first define its interests, attempt diplomacy and, if that fails, “use overwhelming military power … then get the hell out before it becomes a protracted conflict.” He credited the approach with securing a tenuous Israel-Iran cease-fire and claimed the raids incurred no American casualties. Vance’s performance came only hours after Trump used an expletive while speaking to reporters about the Middle East crisis, reinforcing an unvarnished public style that supporters say signals toughness but critics decry as unbecoming. The White House had no immediate comment on the vice president’s gesture, which activists on both sides seized on as further evidence of a rhetorical arms race at the top of U.S. politics.
FFox News
14 days
Irish Lawmaker Wields JD Vance Meme to Decry U.S. Visa Social Media Checks
Irish Lawmaker Wields JD Vance Meme to Decry U.S. Visa Social Media Checks
Ireland’s Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik used a printed meme of U.S. Vice President JD Vance during a debate in the Dáil on Wednesday to criticise Washington’s new requirement that J-1 visa applicants grant officials access to their public social-media accounts. Bacik called the rule "unthinkable," arguing it undermines free expression for the thousands of Irish students who travel to the United States each summer under the cultural-exchange programme. The parliamentary protest follows reports that U.S. border agents at Newark Liberty International Airport turned away 21-year-old Norwegian visitor Mads Mikkelsen earlier this month after discovering a digitally altered image depicting a bald Vance on his phone. Rolling Stone quoted Mikkelsen as saying he was detained for hours and told the picture could constitute grounds for denial of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its parent Department of Homeland Security have rejected the claim that a meme factored into the decision, saying the traveller was refused entry because of admitted past cannabis use. CBP subsequently posted its own Vance memes on social media, stating that satirical images of public officials are not disqualifying. The episode has intensified scrutiny of the Biden administration’s broader push to examine foreigners’ online activity at the border.
RRolling Stone
13 days
Vance Says Oval Office ‘Red Button’ Only Summons Diet Coke, Not Nukes
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has revived curiosity about the Oval Office’s “red button,” telling supporters this week that President Donald Trump once pressed it during a difficult phone call with a foreign leader and jokingly claimed he had launched a nuclear strike. According to Vance, a valet appeared moments later carrying a Diet Coke, revealing that the button’s sole purpose is to summon the president’s preferred soft drink. The lighthearted anecdote, shared at a public event on 24–25 June, echoes similar reports from Mr. Trump’s first term when aides confirmed the device was installed to order Diet Coke on demand. Vance said the episode illustrated the president’s sense of humor during tense negotiations in the Oval Office.
BBenny Johnson
14 days
Vance Defends Iran Strikes, Sidesteps Question on Missing Uranium
Vice President JD Vance defended the administration’s claim that it has “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program but declined to confirm the whereabouts of the country’s highly-enriched uranium during an interview broadcast on 23 June. Pressed by anchor Bret Baier on whether officials “know for sure where all the highly enriched uranium is,” Vance responded that the more important issue is whether Tehran still has the capability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels and convert it into a nuclear device. He said the administration’s objective was to render the material unusable, stating, “I do think the uranium was buried,” but gave no details on its current location. Vance’s comments follow criticism that roughly 900 pounds of highly-enriched uranium may remain unaccounted for despite recent U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities. Opponents argue the uncertainty undercuts the White House’s assertion that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been eliminated.
AAaron Rupar
15 days
JD Vance Says Only 12¢ of Each U.S. Aid Dollar Reaches Recipients
U.S. Sen. JD Vance said that the vast majority of American humanitarian assistance is absorbed by intermediaries rather than reaching people in need. Speaking on 28 June, the Ohio Republican asserted that “only 12 cents of every dollar” the United States sends through non-governmental organizations ultimately benefits recipients, with the remaining 88 cents consumed by what he described as “three or four middlemen” and other layers of overhead. Vance’s comments amplify a long-running criticism from conservative lawmakers who argue that foreign-aid programs lack transparency and are vulnerable to waste. He backed a similar claim made earlier by Sen. Marco Rubio and called for closer scrutiny of NGO contracts and spending. The senator did not cite a specific audit or government report to support the 12-cent figure, and aid groups did not immediately respond publicly to the allegation.
DDefiant L’s
10 days
Vance Defends LA Troop Deployment, Faces Backlash for Misnaming Senator Padilla
Vance Defends LA Troop Deployment, Faces Backlash for Misnaming Senator Padilla
U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Los Angeles on 20 June and inspected a federal joint operations center along with some of the roughly 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 Marines that President Donald Trump deployed this month. Vance said the military presence remains “very much a necessary part” of ensuring calm after protests over stepped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, even though city authorities lifted a curfew earlier in the week. Vance blamed Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for having “egged on” rioters and warned that Washington will send federal forces wherever local leaders fail to protect law-enforcement personnel. Both Democrats rejected the accusation; Bass called the vice-president’s comments “lies and utter nonsense,” while Newsom challenged Vance to a public debate, writing, “Say it to my face. Let’s debate—time and place?” The visit also ignited a separate controversy when Vance referred to California’s Democratic senator Alex Padilla as “José Padilla” during his press conference. Padilla said the slight showed how “petty and unserious” the administration is, and Bass questioned whether the remark was racially motivated. A Vance spokeswoman later said the vice president had merely ‘mixed up’ two individuals. The clash comes a day after a federal appeals court allowed Trump to retain command of the National Guard contingent, putting on hold a lower-court order that would have returned control to Newsom. The ruling strengthens the administration’s hand as it pursues a larger immigration enforcement drive that has already become a flashpoint in California politics.
TThe Hindu
17 days
Vance Says Trump Will Act on Iran If Talks Fail
Vance Says Trump Will Act on Iran If Talks Fail
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in a televised interview that the administration will press ahead with diplomacy to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but signaled that President Donald Trump is prepared to change course if talks stall. “Once he decides that diplomacy has completely run its course — that we’re not going to get anything out of additional talks — then I think the President is going to do what he needs to do,” Vance said when asked how the White House would handle a deadlock with Tehran. Vance added that “the Iranians are clearly not very good at war” and should “give peace a chance,” underscoring Washington’s preference for negotiations while warning Tehran of possible consequences if it refuses to engage.
RRT
16 days