Overview
- The Wall Street Journal editorial writers have run a series of columns criticizing Vance for promoting his book, displaying a thin‑skinned temperament, defending a flawed Iran memorandum, and courting Tucker Carlson.
- Those pieces crystallize resistance from pro‑Israel conservatives, pre‑Trump Republican institutions, and elements of the Murdoch sphere that worry about Vance leading the party after President Trump.
- Despite the backlash, reporting shows Vance still holds the inside track for Mr. Trump’s endorsement in a potential 2028 bid.
- Vance’s office pushed back on claims he has been absent from Congress, saying he has attended more than two dozen times since becoming vice president.
- Some major donors and establishment figures are quietly weighing alternatives such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a shift that could make elite backing decisive in the 2028 succession fight and force Vance to narrow his appeal to win over GOP financiers.