Vice President JD Vance defended the administration’s military involvement in Iran while acknowledging voter frustration over prolonged overseas conflicts, arguing that President Donald Trump would complete U.S. objectives and return attention to domestic priorities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Vice President JD Vance pledged Thursday that President Donald Trump would not allow the ongoing military conflict with Iran to become another prolonged American war, responding to concerns about U.S. involvement in the Middle East during a televised town hall just days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Vance addressed questions about the administration’s record, including its military operations against Iran, immigration enforcement, housing affordability and the fulfillment of campaign promises.
“[W]ith the midterms just days away, where do you believe our administration has fallen short, and why should we trust the Republicans with two more years to deliver the change we voted for?” the attendee asked.
Vance acknowledged concerns about American military commitments in the Middle East, citing his experience serving in Iraq as a Marine and his longstanding opposition to extended overseas military operations.
“Yes,” Vance replied. “So, first, I appreciate the question, and I appreciate you voting for us. I think what I’d say is, first of all, that while I understand the frustration about foreign misadventures in the Middle East, I served in Iraq. That’s one of the main reasons why I got involved politically is because I was so sick of this stuff. We’ve been involved in Iran in some form for seven months. The United States has been dealing with Iran for 47 years, and I promise you that Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war, which is the criticism that’s been made. I think there’s a difference between criticizing foreign military misadventures and saying that you can never, ever use the American military.”
The vice president’s remarks sought to distinguish the administration’s willingness to use military force from the extended U.S. deployments that followed the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003.
Vance argued that opposition to prolonged military interventions does not require ruling out military action when American national security objectives are at stake. He did not provide a specific timetable for ending U.S. operations involving Iran or identify measurable conditions that would constitute completion of those objectives.
The town hall was recorded in Fort Worth, Texas, and aired Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The full broadcast of “Jesse Watters Primetime” featured Vance answering questions about the administration’s policies and the upcoming congressional elections.
Vance expanded his defense of the administration by pointing to immigration restrictions, employment policies and housing costs, arguing that the White House had made progress on several domestic priorities despite continued public concerns about affordability.
“The other thing that I’d say to you is that if you take the whole suite of promises, obviously I’m very biased, but I think we’re doing a very good job,” Vance continued. “On immigration, we closed the border on day one, zero illegal border crossings. We prioritized fighting against visa fraud that big corporations were using to undercut the wages of American workers. That’s a big win. On housing, in part because of what we’ve done on immigration, but we’ve also banned Wall Street from buying up American homes. You actually see in the state of Texas, the list price of homes doubled during the four years of the Biden administration. It has cooled off in the State of Texas and elsewhere in the country too.”
His statements reflected the administration’s position that stricter immigration enforcement and restrictions on institutional home purchases would help American workers and prospective homebuyers. The claims about zero illegal border crossings and the doubling of Texas home listing prices were not independently established during the exchange.
The vice president’s comments came as the administration continued military operations involving Iran, following the outbreak of war in late February. The conflict has involved American and Israeli military operations, Iranian retaliation and disruptions affecting regional shipping and energy supplies.
Trump has also pursued diplomatic contacts intended to resolve the fighting. On Thursday, the president said a message Vance had sent to Iranian officials concerned access to medical supplies rather than the resumption of peace negotiations, according to Reuters.
The distinction underscored uncertainty surrounding the administration’s immediate diplomatic strategy, even as Vance maintained that the president remained committed to concluding the conflict rather than allowing American military involvement to continue indefinitely.
Vance has previously expressed concerns about the consequences of prolonged overseas conflicts, drawing on his military experience in Iraq. His position during the town hall was that the United States could employ military force to accomplish defined objectives without committing itself to an open-ended deployment.
He returned to that argument in his concluding remarks, acknowledging that the administration still had work to do while reiterating his assurance about Iran.
“So, there’s a lot that we’re making good progress on,” Vance added. “Obviously, there’s a lot more we need to work on, but the one thing I’ll tell you is if you’re worried about another forever war, Donald Trump is never going to let this be a forever war. He’s going to accomplish America’s objectives, and then we’re going to focus on the other things that we’re doing, which of course the media doesn’t talk as much about, but are the things that I’m really most proud of. Thank you.”
The vice president’s statements come as Republicans seek to maintain control of Congress in Tuesday’s elections, with the Iran conflict and domestic economic conditions among the issues facing voters.
Although Vance repeatedly promised that the administration would avoid another extended war, he did not announce a deadline for withdrawing American forces or ending military operations. His remarks instead emphasized Trump’s stated intention to complete U.S. objectives before redirecting the administration’s attention toward domestic policy.
Original article
Comments