JD Vance’s ascent as Trump’s likely successor is poised to hit a serious snag: the vice president’s close friendship with Tucker Carlson, who is now actively antagonizing the president.
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Vance’s recent media blitz and involvement in the Iran peace negotiations have dramatically improved his standing with Donald Trump, Axios is reporting, noting that the VP gave 33 interviews in June alone — from conservative podcasts to HBO’s “Real Time” to ABC’s “The View” — all of which have caught the president’s eye.
According to a White House insider speaking with Marc Caputo of Axios, “POTUS isn’t asking, ‘JD or Marco [Rubio]?’ anymore. He’s no longer asking, ‘How’s JD doing?’ He’s now saying, ‘JD looks great, right?'”
But there’s a major problem: Carlson, one of Vance’s closest allies, is becoming increasingly toxic to Trump.
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Carlson has publicly stated he can’t stomach voting Republican in the upcoming midterms and is exploring building an entirely new political party to challenge both Democrats and Republicans. His escalating criticism of Trump could present Vance with a dilemma that would place him in peril with Carlson’s avid fanbase.
“So far, Tucker isn’t a problem,” one Trump adviser told Caputo. “But it could be if Trump tells JD to distance himself from him.”
The report notes that Trump is already “not too happy” with Carlson’s rebellion and his ties to the vice president, with insiders predicting the president is unlikely to look the other way as Vance maintains a close alliance with someone openly abandoning the Republican Party.
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