Republicans Attack Vance To Distract From Their Own Failure

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is no doubt very pleased with Kimberley Strassel right now. The Wall Street Journal columnist has excused him and other Republican Senate leaders of all the responsibilities that their very job titles convey and attacked Vice President J.D. Vance on their behalf.

In an op-ed for the Journal on Thursday, Strassel granted anonymity to very brave Senate Republicans so that, using her as cover, they could blame Vance for the party doing essentially nothing this entire year to advance President Trump’s policy agenda.

Vance “was in the Senate less than two years ago,” wrote Strassel. “He is — by his reports — trusted by the president. Yet he’s nowhere. Members hugely appreciate frequent visits from energetic cabinet members — notably Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But it only further highlights the vice president’s lack of interest, and it fuels criticism that Mr. Vance is putting his presidential ambitions ahead of a GOP Congress’s success.”

Writing on behalf of the Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn wing of the GOP, she also said the “experienced legislators” have grown angry “over Mr. Vance’s decision to position himself as scolder of the body over which he constitutionally presides, rather than showing up for the work.”

By “scolder,” Strassel was referring to comments Vance made during a recent interview on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, wherein the vice president lamented the failure of the Senate to pass election safeguard legislation (the SAVE Act) because of “weird, procedural, archaic things.” Namely, the filibuster rule, which if suspended would allow Republicans to pass the SAVE Act with a simple majority vote.

What Strassel and her anonymous friends in the Senate are doing is laughably transparent. President Trump has been putting pressure on the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, and since congressional Republicans rarely show interest in moving legislation that isn’t a tax cut or sending money overseas, they’re hoping to place the blame on Vance for their failure, accusing him of neglecting his own responsibilities. (Well, it’s not like Vance has been trying to negotiate an end to an exceedingly unpopular war or anything. Not sure why he can’t have more meetings with fat senators.)

As for Strassel, she’s very invested in keeping the U.S. shackled to Israel. She once called it “repulsive” and “disqualifying” to suggest limiting military aid to the country. By contrast, Vance is, at best, ambivalent toward Israel and has recently upset some very pro-war Republicans and conservative commentators by openly acknowledging that American sentiment is rapidly turning against Israel across both political parties, and the tiny country is alienating the rest of the world, too. It’s not a mystery as to where Vance’s political career is heading. Strassel and people like her see it and they oppose it.

The result of these colliding dynamics is the dishonest piece of content pushed by Strassel in her employer’s newspaper targeting the vice president. J.D. Vance’s constitutional obligation to the Senate is limited to presiding over the chamber — something no modern V.P. has physically done on a daily basis for decades, because it’s neither practical nor necessary — and breaking tie votes. For everything else, the Senate has its own leadership. The White House can’t do everything for Republicans; otherwise there would be no need for them to have their own office space. (Wait, maybe I’m onto something here …)

Republicans in the Senate need to grow up, be men, and stop hiding behind Kimberly Strassel. And she should try being more honest with her audience the next time she wants to attack the vice president.