President Donald Trump said Vice President Vance had “slightly different philosophical views” on the Iran war but said both men agreed with the United States launching air strikes alongside Israel.Trump told reporters at his golf club in Doral on Monday that Vance “probably wouldn’t be too keen on going” but defended the strike as necessary.“I feel like this is something we have to do,” Trump said. “I feel like we have no choice.”The president also dismissed suggestions that relations between the two leaders were tense.“We get along very well on this,” Trump said.The conflict intensifies debate within the Republican Party as a challenging election year approaches. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about how military action fits into the party’s “America First” campaign, which often emphasizes reducing U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.Vance has long been associated with this approach. A former Marine who moved from author to politics and later became a U.S. senator and vice president, he is widely considered a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028 and someone who could advance Trump’s political movement.Over the years, Vance has repeatedly supported Trump’s efforts to prioritize domestic concerns over overseas interventions. Citing a 2023 Wall Street Journal op-ed that has gained renewed attention since the attacks, The Associated Press wrote that Trump had his support because “I know he will not recklessly send Americans to fight overseas.”Just before the operation, Vance told The Washington Post that it was “impossible” for the United States to be involved in a long-term war similar to the one in Iraq.Since the strike began, the government has sent mixed signals about how long the conflict might last. Trump said the war could continue “as long as necessary,” but on Monday he also described the operation as a “short-term trip” as economic uncertainty grows.Despite any reservations expressed by Trump, Vance has publicly supported the president since the operation began. In an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Waters, he declined to compare Iran’s actions to earlier U.S. wars.“If you think back to Afghanistan, it was 20 years of mission creep, 20 years of no clear purpose, 20 years of the United States trying to bring liberal democracy to Afghanistan,” Vance said. “It was shorter in Iraq, but we were still in that country for almost a decade without a clear mission, without a clear definition.”“What’s different about this, Jesse, is that the president has clearly defined what he wants to achieve.”Trump’s stance on Iran has been a core part of his foreign policy for years. During his first term, he withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under Barack Obama, over the objections of European allies.He later ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, calling the move “American justice” while criticizing Democratic leaders for questioning the decision to carry out the strike without first consulting Congress.
