Vice President Vance has grown influential and has taken on the role of Potstarler on the White House and the world stage.
His attack dog role was fully on display during an oval office meeting with Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky when Vance stood up to foreign leaders and called for his rude and demanding gratitude to the billions who provided the country during the war with Russia.
Vance's more aggressive stance includes his feather disturbance in Europe and a visit to the southern border — lasts for weeks by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who even turned President Trump into attention.
“Vance had a great week since he was nominated,” said a source familiar with the White House thinking. “I have solidified my position as a reliable player between Trump and the Maga world.”
As Vice President, Vance sat behind Trump in the House room during his joint speech to Congress, joining Jeer Al Green (D-Texas) with GOP lawmakers, defending Green's removal to interrupt Trump's speech in protest.
He then traveled to the US tropical border with Cabinet officials to highlight immigration, held visits with patrol agents, held press conferences, and alongside Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about tariffs and border walls.
However, Vance stole the spotlight last Friday. When a meeting with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky fell off the rails, Vance answered questions from the reporter. There, Zelensky proposed to diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
That led Zelensky to read a list of attacks Putin has made against his country over the past decade after he asked Vance.
“I'm talking about diplomacy that will end the destruction of your country,” Vance said as Zelensky tried to interrupt. “Mr. I think it would be rude to come to the oval office to try and litigate this in front of the American media, president and with respect.”
Some Republicans who spoke to Hill about the meeting were some who said Vance had unnecessarily burned the speech. However, increasingly skeptical of fundraising for Ukraine and consistent with Trump's “America First” agenda, the Magazine world has found Vance's actions refreshing.
“By defending Trump's agenda and putting all his might to push the fight directly to his opponents, he solidifies his role as the top enforcer of the administration. This isn't just loyalty, it's about power. Every punch he throws for Trump will boost his own position on base and strengthen his qualifications as a true mag warrior,” said GOP donor Dan Everhart.
He added: “Let's be clear. This isn't just today. Vance is betting his point on the future of the movement, positioning himself as the obvious heir when Trump leaves the stage.”
That oval office hit Vance in the spotlight in a way that Trump had not taken office since he took office in January. Instead, it was Musk, who was in the limelight, that was often controversial about how government efficiency (DOGE) took part in radical federal reforms, which was the often controversial way of getting the limelight into the administration.
“There's a sense that you've won people, Vance and Musk are examples of this, and they have a free license to step into violations you've never seen before,” a source close to Trump World said. “Trump has some tolerance towards freelance. I think Trump likes the people who play.”
But Trump's tone has changed slightly this week, at least when it comes to musk. At the second cabinet meeting, Trump insisted that his Cabinet secretary, not Musk, was leading the way in finding cuts for each agency, but added that if they didn't do what they needed, Musk would do so.
Tensions are also reportedly flaring between Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It is reportedly The New York Times reported that Musk had been furious for weeks after his team shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Meanwhile, Trump has left Vance in a tough place when it comes to his political future. During an interview with Fox News, the president turned his back completely to become the Republican next leader, making many wonder if Trump's strategy is out there. Some observers say that led Vance to increase his attitude.
“He has a rather long line in a different way to interpreting Maga's doctrine,” said a source close to Trump. “So I think Vance will certainly be aggressive with his attitude, because he wants to be an heir.”
Vance caught the attention of GOP Senators and the White House when he successfully lobbyed Trump's more controversial cabinet candidate, albeit closed-room. Vance was believed to have spoken to them now to the latest director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the point where they could vote “yes.”
Vance was also tapped by Trump to oversee potential sales of popular app Tiktok ahead of the next April 5 deadline.
“Vice President Vance is taking on projects like Tiktok and helping President Trump nominate the Senate in an explicit direction,” a source familiar with his job told Hill. “President Trump clearly trusts the Vice President to take on challenging work.”
Meanwhile, some senators are skeptical that Vance is Trump's heir, and the likes of the superior president at some point will begin to create their own positioning for the future, explained a source close to Trump's world.
“When Trump was asked if Vance was his successor, I don't think it's lost to people that he didn't accept them right away,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Vance is solidifying his role from multiple angles to show that it could be the party's future in 2028.
“Vance is not there to soften Trump. He's there to move forward the entire movement. For Trump, Vance is the product of what he started, you're offensive and you're totally committed to that future,” said Jordan Wood, a former Trump administration communications aide.
Julia Manchester contributed to this report.
