Vice President JD Vance Holds First Press Briefing Since Departure of Press Secretary

Vice President JD Vance conducted the first press briefing at the White House since the exit of former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. During the session, he discussed various topics including a recent oil deal with Venezuela and developments concerning the conflict with Iran.

When questioned about how the Trump Administration intends to follow Leavitt’s legacy, Vance highlighted her efforts to engage with independent journalism, pointing out that one significant aspect of her work was promoting “non-legacy media.” He suggested that rather than viewing emerging non-traditional journalists as a threat, they should be considered a positive step toward democratizing information access, which aligns with First Amendment principles and Leavitt’s commitment to press diversity.

Shifting to national economic challenges, Vance recognized the pressing issues of climbing expenses for American families, admitting that resolving these complex economic matters would take considerable time.

“No taxes on Social Security, no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime—we’ve seen $19 trillion of new investment coming into the country,” he explained. “America’s inflation issue wasn’t resolved overnight; it arose from the Biden Administration’s poor policies and excessive spending that often ended up in the hands of fraudsters rather than the American people. Rebuilding the foundation of our middle class economy requires time,” he added.

Regarding gas prices, Vance directly connected the recent increase to Iran’s continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The fundamental reality is that the reason gas prices are so high right now is that the Iranians are targeting commercial shipping,” he stated, noting the escalation of attacks despite previous agreements to cease. He framed this situation as a crucial lesson in energy independence, arguing that initiatives such as the Venezuela oil deal are vital to prevent the U.S. from becoming over-reliant on any single source for energy and gas supply.

Vance further elaborated, “The Iranians will continue to target ships, and we will do what is necessary to prevent their actions from causing a global energy crisis. So far, we’ve been quite successful. Gas prices could have skyrocketed much further without our intervention, but I can’t promise when they will drop to three dollars again.”

Although Vance praised the military’s current standing under the Trump administration, he was reluctant to specify any next steps regarding the situation with Iran, emphasizing that all options remain under consideration.

“Anything is possible—economic pressure, military pressure, diplomatic pressure, covert pressure. All of these are tools the president can use,” he remarked.

In response to queries about future negotiations with Iran, Vance reiterated that the U.S. would not engage in diplomatic discussions while Iran continues its strikes on commercial shipping.

“The president has made it very clear,” he asserted. “We aren’t going to talk to them until they stop attacking commercial vessels.”

OAN’s Daniel Baldwin raised the point about eight months of expansion in American manufacturing, wondering if this trend reflects a “trickle-down effect” from the administration’s tax and trade strategies, and whether initiatives like the Foundry School become increasingly necessary. Vance credited President Trump for initiating a “renaissance in American building and manufacturing” by rejecting long-standing policies that encouraged the outsourcing of jobs. Hailing the Working Families Tax Cuts along with notable manufacturing growth figures, Vance linked the economic progress to local investments.

“I don’t think we would see the beginnings of a manufacturing renaissance without President Trump’s decision to penalize companies and foreign nations that exploit American workers,” he stated.

During the press conference, Vance also expressed his deep honor in attending the upcoming 25th anniversary commemorations of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero, while President Trump would be present at a ceremony at the Pentagon.