President Donald Trump undermined Vice President JD Vance during the weekend through an inflammatory Truth Social rant that referenced Allah while celebrating the deaths of Iranian leaders, all while Vance was conducting critical peace discussions with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The president, aged 79, initiated his April 11 morning offensive precisely when discussions between American and Iranian representatives commenced, without acknowledging the diplomatic efforts that Vance was leading together with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump criticized the media for their “massive Trump Derangement Syndrome,” declaring Iran was “LOSING, and LOSING BIG!” He subsequently bragged that Iran’s “Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone” and that “their longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!”
The message arrived at an especially uncomfortable time for Vance, who has attempted to establish himself as the moderate voice in discussions to conclude the unauthorized military conflict Trump initiated against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has indicated it would rather negotiate exclusively with the vice president, aged 41, who has consistently voiced opposition to American military interventions in the Middle East.
The situation has generated apparent friction within the Trump administration’s diplomatic team. Vance has insisted that Iran must possess zero uranium enrichment capability, whereas Kushner and Witkoff have suggested a more lenient arrangement in which the U.S. would even provide Iran with uranium for civilian purposes. Iranian representatives have stated they perceive discussions with Kushner and Witkoff as a facade by the Trump administration to deceive Iran into believing they were negotiating in good faith.
Comedian Bill Maher emphasized the uncomfortable nature of the situation on Friday’s episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” calling attention to the paradox of Vance’s position. “That’s who’s at the table over there in Islamabad: Pakistan, Vance, and the Iranians,” the host, aged 70, remarked, observing that Vance himself previously called Trump “reprehensible” and potentially “America’s Hitler.”
Maher was alluding to statements Vance delivered prior to becoming Trump’s 2024 running mate, when he characterized himself as a “never Trumper.” The vice president, who served in the Marines and constructed his political standing on resistance to foreign intervention, has subsequently emerged as one of Trump’s most loyal supporters.
Following 21 hours of discussions, the negotiations collapsed on Sunday without securing an agreement. As Vance announced the “bad news” from Pakistan, the White House was promoting Trump’s forthcoming 80th birthday celebration on June 14, which will showcase UFC fighters competing on the White House South Lawn before an audience of 3,000 to 5,000 VIPs.
Trump himself attended UFC 327 in Miami on Saturday night during the ongoing talks, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of his family. Prior to departing for the event, Trump informed reporters it “makes no difference” to him whether a deal between Iran and the United States is reached.
The president’s indifferent stance changed drastically following the failure of the talks. On Sunday, Trump declared a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which became fully operational Monday morning. Iran characterized the action as “piracy,” and oil exceeded $100 a barrel. The narrow shipping lane has been effectively shut since the war started. The shutdown has triggered gas prices to surge more in March than in any other month since 1967. Britain refused to participate in the blockade, while France revealed plans for a multinational navigation mission in the strait. U.S. intelligence also revealed China plans to provide Iran with new air-defense weapons, a possibility Trump cautioned would give Beijing “big problems.”
The president had earlier threatened to kill off the entire Iranian civilization if the Strait did not reopen, cautioning on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if no deal was reached. He subsequently retracted the threat as the U.S. and Iran arrived at a ceasefire agreement.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom capitalized on Vance’s unsuccessful mission to ridicule the vice president. “JD Vance proves he’s a lightweight twice in 48 hours,” Newsom wrote on X, citing both the failed Iran talks and Vance’s unsuccessful attempt to campaign for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who suffered a devastating election defeat days after the vice president’s visit to Hungary.
Trump’s management of the Iran crisis has attracted condemnation for its disorganized strategy. The president initiated the war without congressional authorization and has consistently undermined his own negotiating team’s efforts.
Despite the breakdown of negotiations and increasing pressure over gas prices, Trump stated he was not concerned about restarting talks with Iran. “I don’t care if they come back or not,” he said. “If they don’t come back, I’m fine.” Days later, however, Trump said Iranian officials had called him and “want to work a deal,” with Pakistan offering to host a second round of talks. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump is weighing a resumption of limited military strikes to pressure Tehran back to the table.
