“You better be careful, JD.”

That was the warning last Wednesday from President Donald Trump, sort of in jest and sort of not, to his vice president, who last week basically soft-launched his 2028 presidential campaign. The idea was for JD Vance to adopt a more likeable, maybe less Trumpian approach as he promotes his new memoir.

But recent days have proved just how hard that will be — even for Vance, who has climbed to the No. 2 spot in the Republican Party by regularly shedding personalities and positions, always with the aim of amassing more power.

Vance warned against the Iran conflict in internal discussions and now the administration is trotting him out to defend it publicly, most recently from the White House briefing room on Thursday. The U.S.-Iran deal is “already bearing real fruits for the American people,” he told reporters.

The majority of Americans, among them some of the loudest MAGA voices, don’t appear to agree. Last week Vance had contentious exchanges with podcaster Megyn Kelly and hosts on “The View,” appearances that came as he promoted his memoir about his........

© The Japan Times