U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center on April 14, 2026 in Athens, Georgia.
Chip Somodevilla | getty images
President Donald Trump this month sent Vice President J.D. Vance to Hungary to promote its prime minister and then to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran in hopes of ending the war started by the US and Israel.
Both trips ended with highly visible failures and some awkward moments, raising questions about whether Vance’s political star is still shining or whether he is being burdened with some of the heaviest burdens of the administration.
Vance became the face of the US delegation that failed to reach a peace deal with Iran after 21-hour marathon talks in Islamabad last weekend. Tehran would not positively commit to not seeking nuclear weapons, Vance said.
An unusual thing arose from the conversation split-screen: As Vance reported from the Pakistani capital that “we have not reached a deal” with Iran, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were photographed together. ufc fight In Miami.
“I think Trump can play off those two and the other candidates, including (Florida Governor Ron) DeSantis, as a real-life ‘Apprentice’ show,” Mark Short, former chief of staff to Trump’s first-term Vice President Mike Pence, said in a phone interview.
Vance on Monday described the Iran trip as meaningful, telling Fox News, “I wouldn’t just say things went wrong. I also think things went right.”
“We’ve made a lot of progress” and laid out Trump’s conditions for a deal, Vance said, noting the rarity of U.S. and Iranian leaders meeting at such a high level.
A source familiar with the talks in Pakistan, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks, told CNBC that the lengthy discussion exceeded the expectations of the US team, who had thought the trip would result in little more than brief table-setting talks.
The vice president’s office declined to comment for this story.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance (R) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appear on stage together during a “Friendship Day” event at MTK Sportpark in Budapest, Hungary on April 7, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | AFP | getty images
A few days earlier, Vance had gone to Budapest to lend his support to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces a tough re-election bid. Despite Vance being on the ground for two days, Orbán and his party were defeated.
Vance later said he knew there was a “good chance” that Orbán, who as a right-wing populist had supported “illiberal democracy”, would lose. But he said the visit was worthwhile because the prime minister has been a good partner to him and Trump.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has also been repeatedly pressured to comment on Trump’s sharp criticism of Pope Leo XIV over his opposition to the Iran war.
In the Fox interview, Vance largely dismissed the disagreements as no big deal, but also suggested that the Vatican should, at least in some cases, stay out of U.S. policy matters.
Asked again about the Pope at a Turning Point USA event in Georgia on Tuesday, Vance said he exercises caution when discussing public policy and that Leo should also “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
The comments come two weeks after Vance’s upcoming book, “Communion,” about the journey of the Catholic faith announced. Writing a book is a good path for politicians running for higher office.
Stomping was a ‘misstep’ for Orbán
Short called the Orbán staycation a “misstep” and said the tension between Trump and the Pope does not help Vance. But he stressed that it is wrong to assume that Vance has either been “sent to the dog house” or eclipsed by Rubio.
Short said of the vice president, “By all standards, he’s still the frontrunner among Republican primary voters.”
Indeed, Vance has long been seen as the obvious choice to lead Trump’s MAGA political movement after the president leaves office. Rubio, the former senator from Florida, who also ran for president in 2016 told Vanity Fair Last year, “If J.D. Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to endorse him.”
Recent Staffing Moves is among the VP’s associates gave rise to speculation That the foundation is already being laid for a fundraising and policy network that could deliver Vance the presidency without relying solely on Trump’s political machine.
But the latest developments are raising some questions whether he will remain the heir apparent.
Vance is “no longer Trump’s heir apparent” after failed Iran talks and Orbán’s defeat, financial Times American National editor and columnist Edward Luce wrote on Tuesday.
Luce wrote, “Forget that America’s chief diplomat was absent from the most important bipartisan dialogue of Trump’s presidency. At the moment Vance was announcing his downfall, Rubio was hobnobbing with Trump at ringside of an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.”
Vance’s political rivals, including Trump opponents commentators And Democrats like California Gov. Gavin NewsomTook the opportunity to make fun of him.
Luce said Vance, once a Trump critic and then supporter, had largely praised the GOP leader. non-interventionist basis. the new York Times informed Last week, Vance was deeply suspicious of war with Iran and tried to prevent it.
Asked about that reporting in Monday’s Fox interview, Vance did not deny it, instead saying he advises the president on the assumption that his advice will remain private. He said he agreed “100 percent” with Trump’s statement that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Vance’s overall approval rating, along with Trump’s, has pulled down to the worst level of any modern vice president, according to CNN data analyst Harry Enten. informed Last week.
And while a recent straw survey Attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference reportedly showed that while Vance remains the current favorite to win the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, his margin has fallen from last year – while Rubio’s margin has increased.