President Donald Trump undercut Vice President JD Vance during the weekend through an inflammatory Truth Social outburst that referenced Allah while celebrating the deaths of Iranian leaders, all while Vance was engaged in critical peace discussions with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The president, age 79, initiated his April 11 morning assault precisely when discussions between American and Iranian representatives commenced, failing to acknowledge the diplomatic efforts Vance was leading along 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 been attempting to establish himself as the rational voice in discussions to conclude the unauthorized conflict Trump initiated against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has indicated it would rather negotiate exclusively with the vice president, age 41, who has consistently voiced opposition to American military actions in the Middle East.
The situation has generated apparent friction within the Trump administration’s negotiating team. Vance has been insistent that Iran must have no uranium enrichment capacity, while Kushner and Witkoff have suggested a more lenient deal in which the U.S. would actually supply Iran with uranium for civilian use. Iranian officials have said they view negotiations with Kushner and Witkoff as a front by the Trump administration to trick Iran into thinking they were negotiating in good faith.
Comedian Bill Maher drew attention to the uncomfortable situation on Friday’s episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” noting the paradox of Vance’s predicament. “That’s who’s at the table over there in Islamabad: Pakistan, Vance, and the Iranians,” the host, age 70, remarked, observing that Vance himself once called Trump “reprehensible” and potentially “America’s Hitler.”
Maher was referencing statements Vance made before becoming Trump’s 2024 running mate, when he described himself as a “never Trumper.” The vice president, who served in the Marines and built his political reputation on opposition to foreign intervention, has since become one of Trump’s strongest defenders.
After 21 hours of talks, the negotiations fell apart on Sunday without reaching an agreement. As Vance delivered the “bad news” from Pakistan, the White House was posting about Trump’s upcoming 80th birthday bash on June 14, which will feature UFC fighters competing on the White House South Lawn in front of an audience of 3,000 to 5,000 VIPs.
Trump himself spent Saturday night ringside at UFC 327 in Miami while the talks were ongoing, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of his family. Before leaving for the event, Trump told reporters it “makes no difference” to him whether a deal between Iran and the United States is reached.
The president’s indifferent posture changed drastically after the talks failed. On Sunday, Trump announced a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which went into full effect Monday morning. Iran called the move “piracy,” and oil topped $100 a barrel. The narrow shipping lane has effectively been closed since the war began. The closure has caused gas prices to spike more in March than in any other month since 1967. Britain declined to join the blockade, while France announced plans for a multinational navigation mission in the strait. U.S. intelligence also indicated China intends to supply Iran with new air-defense weapons, a prospect Trump warned would give Beijing “big problems.”
The president had previously threatened to kill off the entire Iranian civilization if the Strait did not reopen, warning on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if no deal was reached. He later walked back the threat as the U.S. and Iran came to a ceasefire agreement.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom seized on Vance’s failed mission to mock the vice president. “JD Vance proves he’s a lightweight twice in 48 hours,” Newsom wrote on X, referencing both the collapsed Iran talks and Vance’s failed attempt to campaign for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who experienced 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 approach. The president launched the war without congressional authorization and has repeatedly undermined his own negotiating team’s efforts.
Despite the failure of negotiations and mounting pressure over gas prices, Trump claimed he was not worried about resuming 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.
