Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear to be staking out differing approaches to carrying out President Donald Trump’s national security agenda as the possible 2028 Presidential rivals jostle for position in a divided Republican Party.
With vastly different backgrounds and policy experience, they have moved along separate paths to stake out territory: Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants with a long history in the Senate and major interest in Latin America, and Mr. Vance, a child of the Midwest and Marine Corps veteran who served in the Senate for only two years before being tapped as Trump’s 2024 running mate, with a message of opposing foreign wars.
While deferential to each other — and with the White House and State Department denying any suggestion of a rift — Mr. Vance and Mr. Rubio appear the most divergent on West Asia.
In discussing Iran, Mr. Vance has several times been critical of Israel and its actions in Lebanon, saying Mr. Trump has been frustrated by Israeli actions against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah that have angered Iran and made negotiations with Tehran more difficult.
Mr. Rubio, meanwhile, has remained supportive of Israel or held his tongue, particularly over the situation in Lebanon — an issue he has taken the lead on and resulted in a preliminary framework agreement last week.
-AP
