Vice President Vance Critiques Media at Breitbart Event
WASHINGTON – Vice President J.D. Vance took a jab at establishment media while addressing reporters at a recent policy event hosted by Breitbart News in the capital. He remarked, “I can see their fake news eyes.”
After acknowledging the ambassadors present, Vance made light of the approximately 20 journalists who were live-streaming the discussion.
“Hello, Ambassadors. Great to see you all. And of course, best wishes to everyone else, even those in the media who are supposed to be covering this behind the scenes,” Vance said.
“There’s a lot of fake news out there,” Matthew Boyle, the Washington bureau chief for Breitbart, responded. “Everyone is lined up.”
Vance quipped back, “I’m sure there are. I can see their fake news eyes looking into me. I’m sure they’re ready to misreport everything I say today,” prompting laughter from the audience. “But no, we love you too. In a way.”
Subsequently, Mr. Vance addressed a question from Mr. Boyle about President Donald Trump’s negotiation tactics, explaining that he had just spoken with Boyle regarding a major deal before taking the stage.
“This is where the president’s negotiating style really shows. In fact, I was a bit late because he called me just before I got up here. What I appreciate about this negotiation is that it’s never enough,” Vance elaborated. “When you bring him a deal, he immediately asks for more—like a specific tariff rate or requesting certain countries to remove trade barriers. You might think, ‘That’s impossible,’ but then it happens, and he just wants more. His goal is to secure the best deal for the American public. For too long, trade negotiators have prioritized a flawed concept of free trade over fair trade and have overlooked American workers’ interests.
“Whether dealing with China, India, or any other nation we have agreements with, the core principle is to ensure better market access for Americans. We believe American products are the best and should be sold globally. That’s priority number one,” he continued. “Secondly, we don’t want foreign goods depressing American wages. We aim to shield our markets and protect crucial industries, which is fundamental to Trump’s trade strategy. We’ve already seen progress in that regard.”
Mr. Vance also discussed the role of economic leverage in achieving international peace.
“And this ties into your point about Gaza and other international obligations. We’ve managed to leverage the United States’ significant economic influence—accounting for over 25 percent of the world’s GDP. Why not utilize our economic clout to foster peace? It makes sense. When nations are no longer in conflict and instead channel their resources toward creating positive outcomes rather than weaponry, it opens up tremendous economic opportunities for Americans. That’s why the president is dedicated to peace initiatives, and currently, we have eight peace agreements in place, with efforts underway for the ninth and tenth.”
