In Trump's shadow, Vance becomes face of Iran deal

In Trump's shadow, Vance becomes face of Iran deal 2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Daniel Bush Washington correspondent Reuters Vance said Trump was joking when he said he might blame him As he defended the US-Iran deal at the White House press briefing on Thursday, Vice-President JD Vance brushed aside a question about whether President Donald Trump had positioned him as the "fall guy" for an agreement that is broadly unpopular with Republicans in Washington. "I think the president was joking," Vance said, referring to Trump's comment the previous day that he might blame the vice-president if the deal collapses. Vance has spent the week defending the memorandum of understanding with Iran. Yet he was often contradicted or overshadowed by Trump - and his uncertainty about the logistics of a signing ceremony he was planning to attend in Switzerland with Iranian leaders only further underscored his challenges in handling a defining issue of his vice-presidency. Late Thursday, the White House announced that Vance would ultimately not be travelling for the ceremony, at least for now. Despite all the challenges, Vance has still delivered a forceful defence of the deal. He also delivered a blunt rebuke of Israel's response to the agreement, going further in his criticisms than anything Trump has said in recent days. The timing is awkward for Vance, who just days ago published a memoir that intensified speculation about a possible presidential run in 2028. It will be hard for him to sell this interim deal to a party that is divided between anti-interventionist Maga supporters who opposed the war from the start, and conservative Iran hawks who believe the White House has ultimately capitulated to Tehran. Watch: What the US and Iran get out of Trump's deal to end war Other senior administration officials, meanwhile, are not facing quite the same pressures as Vance when it comes to Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a potential rival for the 2028 Republican nomination, has manoeuvered himself out of the spotlight on this war. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been a vocal defender of the military campaign, but has not been deeply involved in the diplomatic talks to end it and is not the face of this agreement in the same way Vance is. Some Republicans said Vance's Iran war portfolio has turned into a thankless assignment from a president long known for blaming his subordinates for unpopular policies. "It's not in the president's nature to cede the limelight and he's done that here," said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist. "That does feel like a deliberate choice." A longtime Republican operative and critic of the president said Trump was pinning the deal on Vance. "It's classic Trump to throw JD under the bus," the source, who asked not to be named, said. EPA US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - a possible Vance rival in 2028 - has kept a relatively low profile during the war It is certainly not a foregone conclusion that Vance