During a CBS News town hall in Michigan on Saturday, Vice President JD Vance discussed the administration’s Iran strategy, immigration tactics, cost-of-living concerns, and revealed that there is a chance he might not run for president in 2028.
Vance Addresses 2028 Presidential Ambitions and Family Commitments
Facing voters and moderator Tony Dokoupil during Things That Matter: A Town Hall With Vice President JD Vance,
the vice president acknowledged that his future on the national ticket is far from certain. Widely viewed as an early frontrunner to succeed Donald Trump, Vance stated that family considerations will guide his decision.
Of course there’s a chance.
JD Vance, Vice President
He explained that he hates thinking about major life decisions, describing himself as a procrastinator, while noting that he and second lady Usha Vance have four young children. Vance added that his wife has never loved politics, though she is dedicated to public service. Recent polling places him ahead of potential Republican primary rivals, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but Vance indicated he will give the matter serious consideration only after the November midterm elections.
Usha Vance previously stated in an interview that she was open to whatever her husband decides ahead of 2028, taking things one step at a time while the administration focuses on the midterm general election. The couple welcomed their youngest child, Alec Neel Vance, on July 19 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Public polling figures give Vance a 15-point advantage over Rubio in the Republican primary, capturing 39% support more than two years out from the next presidential election, with Donald Trump Jr. trailing in third place.
Debating Gas Prices and the Cost of Living in Michigan
Economic anxieties took center stage in the swing state, where a 43-year-old Detroit barber named Keshon Wheatley challenged the administration over elevated gasoline prices compared to Trump’s first term. Wheatley stated that he voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 and 2024 largely because of lower gas prices during the first term, but now plans to back Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the tight Senate race against former House member Mike Rogers.
Vance pointed to developments in the Middle East and argued that during Joe Biden’s term, America’s refining capacity was diminished, leaving the country vulnerable to energy shocks. Another attendee, Sandy Johnson, who owns a family entertainment center, told the vice president that her business is barely making ends meet and asked when ordinary Americans will see relief so they have money to spend at local enterprises.
Dokoupil pushed back on that timeline, telling the vice president that it had been nearly two years since the transition and it had become his economy. Vance conceded that prices remain too high and maintained that turning the financial foundations around will take time.
We’re turning the ship around.
JD Vance, Vice President
Iran War Strategy and Security Questions
The town hall also confronted the human and strategic costs of the ongoing conflict with Iran. Joey Amor, whose wife, Master Sgt. Nicole Amor, was killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, asked Vance about leadership failures and accountability following the attack. Vance admitted he was hearing of the specific case for the first time, noting that officials sometimes live in a bubble where information fails to filter upward, and acknowledged that mistakes were made regarding troop locations.
Addressing broader military objectives, Vance argued that the United States had already won the war in certain ways because strikes successfully destroyed Iran’s nuclear program. He noted that he took part in negotiations with Iran over the summer and that the administration wants a final firm commitment that Tehran will not rebuild its nuclear infrastructure.
Immigration Enforcement and White House Corruption Allegations
A nun questioned the administration’s hardline immigration enforcement and family separations, prompting Vance to respond that officials strive to balance security with human realities while investigating agents who make mistakes.
The conversation later turned to ethics following the recent ouster of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Guilfoyle resigned after allegations surfaced that she asked a MAGA donor to pay a six-figure American Express bill in exchange for political influence. Vance called selling access to the White House disgusting and despicable, asserting that Donald Trump despises when individuals attempt to profit from their proximity to the presidency.