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Johonny

(26,279 posts)
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:02 AM Yesterday

Isn't it weird to send the Vice President to

Negotiate a peace treaty. I point out our secretary of state isn't even with him, but the president's son in law who holds no formal roll in the White House.

VP's often serve no executive roll in most administrations other than surrogate on diplomatic trips. But these are things like ceromanial foreign trips to allies or to formal events like the Olympics.

This suggests A) Trump is down to a hand full of people he trusts B) Little Marco isn't one of them C) Trump is okay failing in these talks and letting Vance take the blame.

My assumption is, the Trump White House is not only the chaotic mess we all think it is, but also it is possibly deteriorating.

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Isn't it weird to send the Vice President to (Original Post) Johonny Yesterday OP
If you aren't sincere, does it matter? OC375 Yesterday #1
It's almost as if Trump has a diminished role bucolic_frolic Yesterday #2
If this was Biden, the media would be talking dementia Johonny Yesterday #5
And the media did .... bucolic_frolic Yesterday #8
Trump might not be medically cleared for travel. n/t forgotmylogin 21 hrs ago #31
I suspect stick-up-his-ass Jared's brief is agingdem 21 hrs ago #33
Particularly when he was against the illegal invasion malaise Yesterday #3
The orange one enjoys seeing Vance squirm flamingdem Yesterday #4
A and C, not sure about B displacedvermoter Yesterday #6
The Vance presidentcy will be a much different experience Bluestocking Yesterday #7
Bluestocking is hoping for a Vance presiden(t)cy.... live love laugh 22 hrs ago #14
I think that Vance would be just as bad, and maybe worse. wnylib 22 hrs ago #18
I am not hoping Bluestocking 22 hrs ago #26
Isn't it weird to have VP True Dough Yesterday #9
Normally this would be a set up for failure but they'll declare victory regardless underpants Yesterday #10
Trump loves that JD wears makeup while he punches those couches with his widdle slong... wcmagumba 23 hrs ago #11
re: "I see absolutely nothing distinguishing or close to remarkable about him. " thesquanderer 22 hrs ago #21
That's what I mean. Thiel found his surrogate. underpants 20 hrs ago #35
Rubio is the weakest SOS I have ever seen. Nt BootinUp 23 hrs ago #12
I think Trump gave L'il Marco the position just so he could humilate him. thesquanderer 22 hrs ago #23
There's no rhyme or reason associated with them. It's one big grift. live love laugh 22 hrs ago #13
Iran requested Vance krkaufman 22 hrs ago #15
They don't trust Kushner or Witkoff either, Iran has been attacked when dem4decades 11 hrs ago #37
Add in another mind game Ruby the Liberal 1 hr ago #39
And this should constantly mentioned during mid term campaign season this summer thru fall ChicagoTeamster 22 hrs ago #16
Honestly, I think you're right in that JMCKUSICK 22 hrs ago #17
He's using the couchfucker as cover if everything goes south Javaman 22 hrs ago #19
Nothing this administration ever does complies with US or international norms. Martin68 22 hrs ago #20
Anyone else would depend on a Sec. State who was a skilled diplomat and negotiator. Ford_Prefect 22 hrs ago #22
Vance can promise more. republianmushroom 22 hrs ago #24
Vance cant promise anything. The VP has no role Johonny 21 hrs ago #34
Vance does not owe his position to Trump. hay rick 22 hrs ago #25
I read somewhere that the Iranians WANTED Vance at the table calguy 21 hrs ago #27
Its hard to trust such statements Johonny 21 hrs ago #32
The statement I referred to was, from what can remember, someone's opinion calguy 19 hrs ago #36
When all you have is thrid-rate talent . . . AverageOldGuy 21 hrs ago #28
It makes a hell of a lot more sense than the President's son-in-law or some rando real estate guy Bluetus 21 hrs ago #29
He's DEFINITELY setting Vance up for the public FAILURE some_of_us_are_sane 21 hrs ago #30
I'm going with blaming Vance Ruby the Liberal 1 hr ago #38

bucolic_frolic

(55,329 posts)
2. It's almost as if Trump has a diminished role
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:07 AM
Yesterday

in foreign policy, in what his wife says about Epstein. For some reason. Wonder what that could be?

Is VP - oh, excuse me - SoS Rubio ready to step into the VP role?

Johonny

(26,279 posts)
5. If this was Biden, the media would be talking dementia
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:09 AM
Yesterday

And the VP needing to perform "executive" roles. If...

bucolic_frolic

(55,329 posts)
8. And the media did ....
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:15 AM
Yesterday

In January of 2024, the White House announced VP Harris would be traveling overseas in an expanded role. I took this to mean they were bulking up her credentials because of Biden's age. All this was circulating by the time 2024's SOTU was delivered, and it was a great speech, Biden nailed it, even if he looked old and weary. By the time of the first debate, things changed. Was a mistake to debate a former insurrectionist. That was a credible case to be made, even if it would have raised M$M hackles. Democrats ran a safe, weak campaign, even though VP Harris accelerated attacks on Trump and ultimately lost by a small margin. OMHO anyway.

agingdem

(8,892 posts)
33. I suspect stick-up-his-ass Jared's brief is
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 01:03 PM
21 hrs ago

to negotiate (on his father-in -law's behalf) a piece of the action regarding the Strait of Hormuz and/or to secure another Saudi type deal for himself...

as for JD Vance...JD runs his mouth without asking permission...Trump intends for him to fail...he needs a fall guy...remember nothing is ever Trump's fault...Harry Truman said "The buck stops here".(responsibility)...for Trump the "buck stops here" is the actual buck (dollar) and it stops in his pocket...

flamingdem

(40,926 posts)
4. The orange one enjoys seeing Vance squirm
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:08 AM
Yesterday

Vance is supposed to be a part of anti-war maga.

displacedvermoter

(4,654 posts)
6. A and C, not sure about B
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:10 AM
Yesterday

Vance may actually be Putin's approved negotiator, and Trump is going along. Putin is loving this chaos, Vance will very likely screw this up and perhaps expand the chaos, and Vance really is a pro-Putin guy from the get go.

Bluestocking

(676 posts)
7. The Vance presidentcy will be a much different experience
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:13 AM
Yesterday

I hope for the better. Certainly can’t be any worse.

live love laugh

(16,415 posts)
14. Bluestocking is hoping for a Vance presiden(t)cy....
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:47 AM
22 hrs ago
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=379734

7. The Vance presidentcy will be a much different experience. I hope for the better. Certainly can’t be any worse.

wnylib

(26,154 posts)
18. I think that Vance would be just as bad, and maybe worse.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:14 PM
22 hrs ago

He would be different, more orderly and less chaotic.

Vance is misogynistic. He is also associated with the ultra RW retrogressive Catholic subgroup, Opus Dei. So is his mentor and backer, Peter Thiel.

In interviews, Vance plays the plausible denial role, dismissing critiques or pointed questions as unfounded, or claims not to have heard about the topic being brought up. He dismisses it with, "I'll look into it and get back to you." But of course he never does. He is slicker than some people think.

Bluestocking

(676 posts)
26. I am not hoping
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:41 PM
22 hrs ago

But the reality is that Rump will not make it to 2028. Vance will be president and since he hopes to get elected in 2028 he will have to curb some that right wing ideology.

True Dough

(26,843 posts)
9. Isn't it weird to have VP
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:21 AM
Yesterday

who actually made his true feelings about you known publicly years earlier:

Vance began to publicly change course when he launched his Senate campaign in 2021. He deleted tweets from 2016 that included him calling Trump "reprehensible" and an "idiot." In another deleted tweet following the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape on which Trump said fame enabled him to grope women, Vance wrote: "Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-j-d-vances-past-statements-and-relationship-with-trump

underpants

(196,707 posts)
10. Normally this would be a set up for failure but they'll declare victory regardless
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 10:29 AM
Yesterday

These aren’t normal times.

Sending J. V. instead of little Marco could be either him picking one over the other as both are seen as the leaders in succession to be who is him, or one to fail.

Vance is a mystery to me. I see absolutely nothing distinguishing or close to remarkable about him. I have no idea how he got through Parris Island or why his empty suit keeps falling into favor of people in power or money. I guess it’s some mixture of drive and place holding.

wcmagumba

(6,305 posts)
11. Trump loves that JD wears makeup while he punches those couches with his widdle slong...
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:00 AM
23 hrs ago

Thinks he's so cute...Trump would marry JD if Melanoma ever left him...

thesquanderer

(13,034 posts)
21. re: "I see absolutely nothing distinguishing or close to remarkable about him. "
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:23 PM
22 hrs ago

Peter Thiels' support/money.

thesquanderer

(13,034 posts)
23. I think Trump gave L'il Marco the position just so he could humilate him.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:25 PM
22 hrs ago

He's never forgotten the "small hands" thing, I'm sure.

krkaufman

(13,962 posts)
15. Iran requested Vance
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:47 AM
22 hrs ago

Supposedly, Iran had suggested Vance as preferable to Kushner & Witkoff because of perception that he’d voiced opposition to the war. (Though probably also overestimating Vance’s power/influence.)

dem4decades

(14,143 posts)
37. They don't trust Kushner or Witkoff either, Iran has been attacked when
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:29 PM
11 hrs ago

Negotiating with those two.

Ruby the Liberal

(26,677 posts)
39. Add in another mind game
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 09:09 AM
1 hr ago

Vance being a heartbeat from the presidency coupled with plummeting approvals within the party of the gullible has to be floating somewhere in whats left of Trump's mind.

No way an ego that large is going to step back and let an underling take the win. If he thought there was a shot of this working, he'd be right in the center of it.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,021 posts)
16. And this should constantly mentioned during mid term campaign season this summer thru fall
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 11:53 AM
22 hrs ago

Bring up the disfunction, mistrust, destruction of alliances and trade relationships, spiraling problems, and of course the economy

JMCKUSICK

(6,292 posts)
17. Honestly, I think you're right in that
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:14 PM
22 hrs ago

Most of these boot lickers sold their souls so long ago that they don't have a core set of beliefs on anything.

Of course what that means in real life, is that they won't be very good at negotiating around common sense proposals because they can't really defeat the sense they make.

No principles equals no positions.

Javaman

(65,825 posts)
19. He's using the couchfucker as cover if everything goes south
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:18 PM
22 hrs ago

Then he can blame couchfucker for his own fuck up.

The oranges asshole hates Vance that’s the open secret.

Ford_Prefect

(8,630 posts)
22. Anyone else would depend on a Sec. State who was a skilled diplomat and negotiator.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:24 PM
22 hrs ago

Along with the Ambassador to the country and his staff, people with knowledge of Iranian politics and culture, and who have history with those across the table.

But Donnie Dimwit fired everyone competent to those requirements along with vilifying diplomatic professionals.

So between Dim-son-in-law, Father knows nothing, and the thing from central casting, nothing good will come of this. They will give away the store, shackle we poor tax payers with the costs and declare that they got the "BEST DEAL".

republianmushroom

(22,378 posts)
24. Vance can promise more.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:26 PM
22 hrs ago

Can make it seem more honest that this administration wants peace, instead of just covering their ass for an illegal war.

Johonny

(26,279 posts)
34. Vance cant promise anything. The VP has no role
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 01:05 PM
21 hrs ago

He is basically a spare part in case the president dies. Iran will eventually need either Trump buy in and/or congressional buy-in.

In many way, Vance is about the same as talking to Jared. Neither is really around for official diplomacy in a normal White House. It does seem that Trump has checked out of the war he started and Iran can basically dictate terms.

hay rick

(9,632 posts)
25. Vance does not owe his position to Trump.
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:35 PM
22 hrs ago

He is busy positioning himself as the tech bro/authoritarian alliance heir apparent. The media has helpfully settled on a narrative in which a) Vance spoke out against the war when others wouldn't and b) he proved his loyalty to Trump by publicly supporting the war anyway.

I don't believe Trump particularly trusts Vance- I think he is afraid to cross Vance's patrons.

calguy

(6,160 posts)
27. I read somewhere that the Iranians WANTED Vance at the table
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:43 PM
21 hrs ago

Mainly because they think he was the least enthusiastic about the war in trump’s inner circle, and they think he’ll be the easiest to agree to their terms.
Time will tell, of course, as I think Iran holds the advantage here, holding the Strait of Hormuz as their ‘trump’ card.

Johonny

(26,279 posts)
32. Its hard to trust such statements
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 01:01 PM
21 hrs ago

As both governments are full of *. Unless it was Vance using Pakistan as a backdoor to "beg" for a ceasefire. It might be, but it does feel like Trump is leaving Vance out to dry here.

calguy

(6,160 posts)
36. The statement I referred to was, from what can remember, someone's opinion
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 03:02 PM
19 hrs ago

Which is why I take it with a grain of salt, like most every opinion I come across. I just thought it might be an interesting point to bring up in this particular conversation.

AverageOldGuy

(3,955 posts)
28. When all you have is thrid-rate talent . . .
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:45 PM
21 hrs ago

. . . you play the game with third rate talent.

Bluetus

(2,909 posts)
29. It makes a hell of a lot more sense than the President's son-in-law or some rando real estate guy
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:45 PM
21 hrs ago

some_of_us_are_sane

(3,307 posts)
30. He's DEFINITELY setting Vance up for the public FAILURE
Sat Apr 11, 2026, 12:51 PM
21 hrs ago
as our asswipe "COMMANDER AND THIEF" has done -NOT JUST in the presidency- but for all his grifting life.

Ruby the Liberal

(26,677 posts)
38. I'm going with blaming Vance
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 09:03 AM
1 hr ago

The 'master negotiator' taking a back seat reads to me like he doesn't want to get his hands dirty - he's in over his head and doesn't want to admit that his whole life has been selling a mirage to the gullible.

No issue for his real estate vultures, but Vance seems like fair game - unlike Rubio, he hasn't been felating Trump on TV about what a brilliant plan this illegal war was.

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