President Donald Trump has reportedly been making “snide, annoyed comments” about Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for failing to enthusiastically champion his war with Iran, according to a new report that could signal deepening fractures within the administration.
White House sources told Zeteo that Trump has been privately criticizing both officials for not being “as enthusiastic” about the military campaign that began with strikes on February 28, 2026. The president’s apparent frustration with his 41-year-old vice president marks a notable shift in their relationship, with some White House insiders reportedly taken aback by Trump’s tone.
One official texted that Vance “just opposes” war with Iran and was “worried about the success” of Operation Epic Fury, which has failed to deliver the regime change Trump promised. The campaign has instead spiked gas prices and tanked his approval rating.
Vance, who was a “skeptical” voice ahead of the strikes according to senior White House officials, has not been promoting the war on social media or cable news with the same fervor he has shown for other administration priorities. That reluctance stands in stark contrast to the pro-peace message he championed during the 2024 campaign, when he wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Trump “won’t recklessly send Americans to fight overseas.”
Vance was notably silent on February 28, the day the strikes began. Days earlier, he had told The Washington Post there was “no chance” of a prolonged Middle East conflict if the U.S. moved forward—a prediction that has aged poorly as the war drags into its second month with no end in sight.
When pressed about his advice to the president by an Associated Press reporter on March 13, Vance deflected, claiming that sharing his thoughts could somehow land him in prison due to classified information protocols.
The White House firmly denied the Zeteo report. “President Trump has full confidence in his entire exceptional national security team. This ‘story’ is totally false—Vice President Vance and DNI Gabbard are important members of the president’s team and their work continues to serve him and this country well,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle.
Gabbard also drew Trump’s ire after she declined to back up the administration’s claim that Iran presented an “imminent threat” during testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Both she and Vance have long histories of opposing American military intervention in the Middle East.
The vice president’s predicament could benefit Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 54, who has emerged as a possible alternative heir to Trump’s MAGA movement. Rubio has played an increasingly prominent role as both secretary of state and acting national security adviser, earning effusive praise from the president as potentially “the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States.”
According to NBC News, Trump polled donors at Mar-a-Lago on February 28 about Vance versus Rubio. The guests applauded louder for Rubio—”It was almost unanimous for Marco,” one attendee told the outlet. The 79-year-old president has repeatedly declined to put Vance ahead of Rubio for the 2028 ticket, despite predicting last August that Vance would be “most likely” the leading contender.
Trump is now sending Vance to Pakistan to lead peace talks with Iran, a mission that could further complicate the vice president’s political future. The negotiations are expected to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the strikes began. Iran has signaled it prefers negotiating with Vance over Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, whom Tehran has accused of “backstabbing.”
Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and Iran run counter to what he promised MAGA voters heading into the 2024 election. Vance now faces the challenge of remaining loyal to a president who demands fealty while not alienating his own isolationist base ahead of a potential 2028 run.