JD Vance Accuses Politico of ‘Journalistic Malpractice’ Over New Report: ‘It’s a Foreign Influence Operation’
Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized a recent Politico report that targeted Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy for peace missions involved in negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The report accused Witkoff of inexperience and an ineffective, isolated approach. Vance condemned the article as “journalistic malpractice” and a foreign influence operation aimed at undermining the governance and one of its key members. He highlighted that the critical voices in the article were anonymous insiders allegedly resistant to Witkoff’s success. Vance defended Witkoff’s work, citing his negotiation progress and support from notable figures, while questioning the motives of the reporter and the timing of the story. The Politico journalist has not publicly responded to Vance’s accusations.
Vice President JD Vance has taken a blistering shot at one of the White House’s most notorious rivals: the media.
On Friday, Politico released a critical report that took aim at one key member of President Donald Trump’s administration — and Vance wasn’t standing for it.
Alongside the blaring headline of “‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy,” Politico spilled quite a bit of digital ink calling out the alleged inefficacy of Trump’s special envoy for Peace Missions.
Specifically, Politico’s Felicia Schwartz chronicled the struggles that Witkoff was purportedly having while trying to bring about an amicable end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Some frustrated U.S., Ukrainian and European officials say part of the problem is the go-it-alone style of Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for peace missions and go-to negotiator on Ukraine,” Schwartz reports. “He has refused to consult with experts and allies, leaving him uninformed at times and unprepared at others, according to seven people familiar with internal discussions.”
The report added, “Two said he misses the mark by viewing the conflict through a real estate lens, like a land dispute.”
Enter: Vance.
The vice president took to X shortly after the report’s publication and did not mince words when it came to what he thought of the Washington, D.C.-based outlet — and Schwartz.
“This story from Politico is journalistic malpractice,” Vance posted Friday. “But it’s more than that: it’s a foreign influence operation meant to hurt the administration and one of our most effective members.
“Notice how all of the people attacking Steve are on background? That means it’s two or three deep staters who are angry that Witkoff has succeeded where they’ve failed.
“You know what this ‘reporter’ left out to make room for anonymous quotes? The full quote from the sitting vice president, on the record. A quote from the secretary of the state, on the record. A quote from Jared Kushner, on the record.
“The full quote from the UK’s Jonathan Powell, one of the most respected national security people in the Western World, who defended Steve vigorously from these malicious smears.”
You can view the entire post below:
This story from Politico is journalistic malpractice. But it’s more than that: it’s a foreign influence operation meant to hurt the administration and one of our most effective members.
Notice how all of the people attacking Steve are on background? That means it’s two or three… https://t.co/LsPmTpZfqy
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 29, 2025
Vance then set his sights on Schwartz, and what exactly she was trying to accomplish with this “journalistic malpractice.”
“Aside from the failure to include on the record information directly contradicting her reporting, I wonder if she ever asked herself why these anonymous sources came to her at this moment with this particular story,” Vance continued.
“They have an agenda to blow up the president’s efforts to make peace, and they saw her as a useful vessel to launder garbage into the conversation, truth be damned.
“There are two possible explanations: Felicia is just not very smart, and allowed herself to be used by deep state con men. Or she’s in on it, and used her position to willingly participate in a literal foreign influence operation. Either way, it’s disgraceful.
“To set the record straight: Steve Witkoff is an invaluable member of our team. He did not mislead anyone on what the Russians told him and what the Russians conceded. (Trust me, I’ve seen the intel.) The fruits of his negotiations are that we have narrowed the list of open issues in the Russia-Ukraine war to a set of clearly defined issues–specifically, security guarantees and territorial concessions.
“Maybe we make peace, and maybe we don’t. If we do, it will be because Steve Witkoff and the President of the United States worked their tails off, in the face of outright lies from the mainstream press.”
It’s unclear if Schwartz has responded to these accusations against her.
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