JD Vance faces coordinated Republican attacks as allies fear 2028 sabotage campaign

Jul 24, 2026

Vice President JD Vance, a leading contender for the 2028 GOP nomination, is facing a barrage of attacks from fellow Republicans. His allies allege a coordinated sabotage campaign, which intensified after Vance claimed on a podcast that Israel is manipulating U.S. opinion on the Iran war. A new poll shows Vance's support in New Hampshire has fallen from 53% to 36%, shrinking his lead over Marco Rubio to just 10 points.

Republican attacks on Vance

▪Vice President JD Vance is facing a barrage of online attacks from fellow Republicans.
▪Vance's detractors have adopted the slogan "Never Vance" and claim he is "unfit" to be vice president over his Iran peace deal efforts.

Vance polling decline

▪In the same University of New Hampshire poll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio's support rose from 7% in February to 26% in July.
▪JD Vance's 46-point lead over Marco Rubio in February polling for the 2028 GOP primary has shrunk to a 10-point gap.
▪A University of New Hampshire poll shows JD Vance's support among likely GOP primary voters fell from 53% in February to 36% in July.

Joe Rogan podcast controversy

▪Criticism of Vance from conservative influencers, including Ben Shapiro, spiked after his appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.
▪On the same podcast, Vance said his administration "screwed up" and "mishandled" the release of files on Jeffrey Epstein.
▪On the Joe Rogan podcast, Vance claimed Israel is "manipulating" U.S. public opinion to prolong the war with Iran.

Coordinated sabotage allegations

▪A close Vance ally described the wave of criticism as "totally inauthentic and probably coordinated to a certain extent."
▪Allies of JD Vance allege the attacks are a "coordinated op" intended to sabotage his potential 2028 presidential campaign.
▪Vance supporter Jon Schweppe believes detractors are waging an "organized" campaign to "knock him down a few pegs" so a challenger can emerge.

2028 presidential succession

▪JD Vance is widely considered a potential heir to the MAGA movement and a front-runner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.
▪The public hostility toward Vance from within the GOP is considered unusual for its intensity and its early timing, two years before the next nominee is chosen.
▪Donald Trump previously stated that a 2028 ticket with JD Vance for president and Marco Rubio for vice president would be a "dream team."