JD Vance isn’t betraying Israel or in bed with Iran — the GOP just can’t handle ‘America First’

Published September 17, 2026 7:00am ET



Vice President JD Vance’s approach to Iran has opened a larger debate on the American Right. Critics see too much willingness to negotiate with Tehran and too much distance from Israel. But they are mistaking strategic restraint for weakness. Vance is beginning to give “America First” something it has often lacked: a coherent foreign policy.

Its organizing principle is sovereignty: American power should serve American interests, and Washington should retain the freedom to decide for itself what those interests require.

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