Vice President Vance is getting a moment in the spotlight amid the ongoing government shutdown, putting the potential 2028 GOP nominee front-and-center as a top messenger and attack dog for the administration.

Vance has mostly been behind the scenes in his first nine months in office, working on TikTok negotiations and serving as the administration's main salesman for its signature policy bill.

With the shutdown, Vance has taken on a more central and public-facing role. He appeared Wednesday morning on CBS and Fox News, then went on conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s show before making a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room to discuss the politics around the shutdown.

The heightened profile gives Vance a perch to bolster his credentials as the heir apparent to Trump, but also opens him up to potential attacks.

“Vice President Vance is widely known as the Administration’s bulldog, a natural, excellent messenger, maintains good relationships with his former Senate colleagues, and served in the Senate throughout multiple government funding debates,” a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. “It only makes sense for Vice President Vance to help President Trump drive this fight home.”

Since the government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, it has been Vance, not President Trump, largely driving the White House’s messaging on the issue and in-person via television interviews and the briefing room appearance.

Vance has aggressively pushed the White House’s argument that the shutdown stems from congressional Democrats seeking to provide health care........

© The Hill