Vice President JD Vance said during a Wednesday interview with Joe Rogan that he believes a well-funded campaign has sought to undermine the Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran, pointing to a recent report alleging that a former Trump campaign manager’s firm is working on behalf of Israel.
Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Vance argued that an organized effort has attempted to derail the negotiations and criticized those he said have targeted him for carrying out President Donald Trump’s diplomatic objectives.
“But I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal,” Vance said.
The vice president referenced a Time magazine report published Tuesday, saying it detailed payments involving former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and his company, Clock Tower X.
According to the Time report, Parscale, who briefly managed Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, and his company are being paid by Israel to conduct an influence campaign, citing filings made under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Vance told Rogan that the article described individuals who, he said, had received payments through that effort while simultaneously criticizing him for pursuing negotiations with Iran.
“And those people are attacking me viciously for quite literally trying to accomplish the negotiation objective that the president set for the country,” Vance said.
Rogan asked Vance to explain the nature of those attacks.
“So what is their position? They’re attacking you. How?” Rogan asked.
Vance responded that the criticism has come through social media posts, information provided to reporters and public arguments opposing negotiations with Iran.
“Oh, it’s social media posts. It’s, you know, they’re leaking to reporters,” Vance said. “They are attacking, obsessively saying that we should not be negotiating with Iran, that we should just keep the military campaign going indefinitely. And that is their explicit position.”
The vice president also said he has been the subject of accusations claiming he is influenced by Qatar or other foreign governments, as well as allegations that he takes direction from commentator Tucker Carlson.
Vance dismissed those claims, saying his efforts have been focused solely on carrying out the president’s stated objectives.
According to Vance, those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon while ensuring the continued free flow of oil and gas.
“What I’m actually trying to do is accomplish what the President of the United States told me to accomplish,” Vance said.
At the same time, Vance said he does not object to foreign governments expressing disagreements with U.S. policy or attempting to influence American decision-making, describing that as a common reality in international affairs.
“I don’t actually mind that certain elements of the Israeli government want to criticize the deal or have disagreements about the deal,” Vance said.
He added that governments around the world, including allies and adversaries, routinely attempt to influence the United States.
What concerns him, Vance said, is when American leaders allow those outside efforts to shape their own judgment or policy positions.
“What bothers me is actually when Americans — meaning American leadership — allow that influence to affect their judgment and to affect what they are advocating for,” he said.
Vance concluded by returning to the Time report, saying he was frustrated to read about what he described as a foreign-funded influence campaign targeting negotiations he was pursuing on behalf of the Trump administration while individuals involved also criticized him.
“My response to that is: well, go to hell,” Vance said. “I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”
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