AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool
A Republican senator questioned whether President Donald Trump regretted choosing Vice President JD Vance as his running mate in comments Thursday over statements the latter made in a Signal group chat about a US military strike in Yemen.
The lawmaker, whose identity was protected by Jewish Insider, said Vance made comments that contradicted Trump on striking Houthi rebels in Yemen and argued the president might have buyer’s remorse.
In Jeffrey Goldberg’s stunning report in The Atlantic, he was mistakenly added to a Signal chat with Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegsteth, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz – among others. In the chat, Vance was not on board with strikes in Yemen.
“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now,” Goldberg reported Vance wrote in one exchange. “There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices. I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
Vance also reportedly said of striking Houthis who have been attacking Israel and US and European shipping, “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
Jewish Insider spoke to a number of US senators for a report that dropped Thursday. While Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) defended Vance, seven others did not — those lawmakers were offered anonymity by the outlet.
One of them was quoted as having said, “I’ve gotta wonder if Trump’s looking at this and going, ‘What have I done?””
The senator reportedly mused, “Trump might come to regret anointing Vance as his heir apparent by tapping him as his running mate last year.”
Another Republican senator who was granted anonymity reportedly said of Vance, “It was shocking to me that he didn’t see the need to strike back when they struck our naval vessels. That’s not a British problem or a European problem. Frankly, them striking our friends in Israel is more than enough justification. It’s the Tucker Carlson view of how to use military power.”
Tillis said of Vance, “JD is consistent on this. He does not like to see the deployment or the projection of American power outside of a direct threat to the United States. He’s at least consistent on that. I disagree with him, but he is consistent.”
