President Donald Trump has been making “snide, annoyed comments” about Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard due to their lack of vocal support for his Iran conflict, according to a recent report suggesting growing tensions inside the administration.
Sources within the White House informed Zeteo that Trump has privately expressed displeasure with both individuals for lacking enthusiasm for the military operation that commenced on February 28, 2026. The president’s dissatisfaction with his vice president, age 41, represents a significant change in their dynamic, with certain administration insiders surprised by Trump’s attitude.
An official sent a text message stating that Vance “just opposes” the Iranian conflict and expressed concern, worried about the success” of Operation Epic Fury, which has not achieved the regime overthrow that Trump had pledged. Instead, the operation has caused fuel costs to surge and Trump’s public support to plummet.
Vance, described as a “skeptical” participant before the military action by top White House officials, has avoided promoting the conflict on social platforms or in television appearances with the intensity he’s shown for other presidential initiatives. This hesitation contrasts sharply with his anti-war stance during the 2024 race, when he stated in The Wall Street Journal that Trump “won’t recklessly send Americans to fight overseas.”
Vance remained conspicuously quiet on February 28, when military operations commenced. Just days before, he had informed The Washington Post there was “no chance” of an extended Middle Eastern war if the U.S. proceeded—a forecast that has proven inaccurate as hostilities continue into their second month without resolution.
When questioned about his recommendations to the president by an Associated Press journalist on March 13, Vance avoided answering directly, suggesting that revealing his counsel might result in incarceration because of classified intelligence regulations.
The White House categorically rejected the Zeteo reporting. “President Trump has full confidence in his entire exceptional national security team. This ‘story’ is totally false—Vice President Vance and DNI Gabbard are important members of the president’s team and their work continues to serve him and this country well,” stated White House spokesman Davis Ingle.
Gabbard similarly provoked Trump’s displeasure when she refused to support the administration’s assertion that Iran posed an “imminent threat” while testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Both officials have extensive records of resisting U.S. military action in the Middle East.
The vice president’s dilemma may advantage Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 54, who has surfaced as a potential successor to lead Trump’s MAGA coalition. Rubio has assumed a more visible position serving simultaneously as secretary of state and acting national security adviser, receiving lavish commendation from the president as potentially “the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States.”
According to NBC News, Trump surveyed supporters at Mar-a-Lago on February 28 regarding Vance compared to Rubio. The attendees clapped more enthusiastically for Rubio—”It was almost unanimous for Marco,” one participant informed the news organization. The 79-year-old president has consistently refused to elevate Vance above Rubio for the 2028 nomination, notwithstanding his August prediction that Vance would be “most likely” the frontrunner.
Trump dispatched Vance to Pakistan on Saturday, April 11, for diplomatic discussions with Iran, an assignment that may further jeopardize the vice president’s political prospects. The talks addressed restoring access to the Strait of Hormuz, which was navigable before military operations, but negotiations ended in failure on Sunday morning.
Trump’s military operations in Venezuela and Iran contradict the commitments he made to MAGA supporters before the 2024 election. Vance must now navigate maintaining allegiance to a president requiring absolute loyalty while preserving support among his non-interventionist constituency for a possible 2028 campaign.