November 5, 2026
The defeat suffered by the Republican Party in the US midterm elections, and the loss of control over Congress, resulted in political repercussions that went beyond the electoral results to extend within the administration of President Donald Trump. In this context, American media monitored early indicators of a political move led by Vice President J.D. Vance in preparation for the 2028 presidential elections, considering the war with Iran and relations with Israel as tools to distinguish themselves from Trump and attract angry voters without directly clashing with him.
According to a report by journalist Assaf Rosenzweig published on the Israeli “Channel 12” website, Vance’s unusual statements came to highlight the role of the war with Iran in the electoral loss, and to call for a reconsideration of relations with Israel, to outline the features of his next presidential ambitions and present himself as a political heir to the “MAGA” movement (Make America Great Again) while seeking to correct electoral mistakes.
In the same context, Fox News revealed that Vance is working to build a political alliance with what is known as the “New Right,” which are “America First” voters who oppose foreign wars and demand lowering the cost of living and immigration policies, and many of whom believe that Trump has become too attached to Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The network stressed that these moves do not mean a coup against Trump, avoiding the fate of former Vice President Mike Pence, to reinforce the message that Vance is the alternative option for those who felt administrative disappointment in foreign policy.
For its part, “The Atlantic” magazine, in an analysis under the title “Vance 2028 has already begun,” considered that the Vice President’s behavior represents a modified version of Trumpism that distances itself from electoral burdens, and gives him distinction from other names such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, and the Axios platform monitored the implications of this independent positioning, especially after Vance previously announced that he would postpone deciding his political future until after the midterm elections.
On the other hand, these trends faced sharp criticism, most notably an opinion article in the New York Post that accused Vance of using Israel as a “scapegoat” to protect his political future and justify the defeat in which NBC polls showed that the high cost of living and corruption were top priorities. The writer went on to accuse Vance of trying to win over extremist movements by suggesting that Israel had pushed toward war and had become a burden on Republicans.
Despite these debates and the limited discrepancies that had previously emerged over the Iranian war – which Trump himself admitted that his vice president was “less enthusiastic” about – it cannot be certain that there was a political rebellion, especially with Trump acknowledging the war’s role in the loss without a feeling of remorse. These data put the Republican Party facing an early succession battle, especially with Trump described as a “lame duck” after losing Congress, which makes it likely that the Iran and Israel files will remain at the forefront of Republican discussions heading into the 2028 elections.
