A White House official blasted reports claiming that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are delivering mixed messages on Iran, and Rubio stresses the administration is in “lockstep” on foreign policy.
Strikingly similar headlines have emerged across various platforms, suggesting a divide between the vice president’s and the secretary’s rhetoric as they relate to Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Israel. But in reality, Vance and Rubio are conveying very similar messages, undermining the credibility of the narratives.
“The idea that Vance and Rubio differ in their messaging and perspectives on Lebanon is just completely ridiculous,” a White House official said in a statement to Breitbart News. “The fact that this speculative and thinly-evidenced narrative rapidly popped up out of nowhere suggests it’s a manufactured ploy to undermine the Administration. The same so-called ‘journalists’ who have been readily parroting Iranian propaganda for the past two weeks are now actively trying to sabotage American interests. It’s shameful.”
The Jewish Insider published a headline on Tuesday reading, “Vance, Rubio offer mixed messages on Iran having a role in Lebanon,” National Review followed suit on Wednesday with a piece titled, “Marco Rubio Cleans Up Trump’s and Vance’s Mess,” and other outlets, like Reuters and CNN, have pushed a similar narrative.
As Jack Posobiec pointed out, Rubio and Vance have used strikingly close rhetoric regarding the dynamic between Israel and Hezbollah.
“You have Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, that has effectively taken up shop in Lebanon. Sometimes they’re firing at the Israelis, of course, that means the Israelis are going to respond in self-defense. So, there’s this constant slow burn of conflict,” Vance told Fox & Friends on Saturday.
The secretary of state emphasized Thursday that the administration is in “lockstep” and behind the president when asked, “How wide is the divide between you and the vice president?”
Rubio said:
Everyone here is aligned behind the president of the United States. Every single one of us. The president of the United States makes the foreign policy of our country… we obviously give advice, we give counsel, we give opinions. But when the president of the United States is the one who is elected by the people of our country to conduct our foreign policy, the president makes these decisions, and all of us on his team, every single one of us, works in lockstep very closely with one another to execute on the president’s foreign policy.
Rubio said he is proud that the administration works without “drama” and “games” on the foreign policy front.
“One of the things I’m very proud of, I can’t speak for every element of our government, because I’m not involved in other aspects of our government, but one of the things that I’m the proudest of is that when it comes to foreign policy and national security, we have no drama, we have no games,” he said.
“We have a group of people that work very well together and closely to execute on the president’s directives, which is why I think we’ve had good outcomes and good achievements, and we’re going to continue to have good outcomes and good achievements,” he added.
Rubio stressed that officials are working together.
“Everyone has an important role to play, and everyone is playing that role and doing it in a collaborative process. And I think that serves the president well, and I think that serves the country well,” he said.
The reports claiming a break in Vance and Rubio’s rhetoric come as many establishment media organizations and pundits have pushed a potential showdown between the two officials for the 2028 Republican nomination, which Rubio himself has poured cold water on.
Rubio said in March he would be the first person to support Vance if the vice president seeks the 2028 nomination.
“I’m going to be in this job for the next two and a half years. I’m going to do that job. I’m going to finish the job for this president. I’m enjoying it very much. I think we’re going to make a lot of good things happen,” he said.
“JD is a very good friend of mine. If JD runs for president. I think he’d be a phenomenal candidate. I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be the first person to sign up and support him. I think JD would do great,” he added.