JD Vance Abruptly Cancels Trip, Rushes To WH After Major Development
Vice President JD Vance has officially called off his planned diplomatic trip to Israel, following the intensification of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The decision, first reported by Axios, comes as the Trump administration continues to press for a ceasefire and a hostage release deal, underscoring a careful balancing act in U.S.-Israel relations.
A senior U.S. official explained to Axios, “Vance decided because he didn’t want his trip to suggest the Trump administration endorsed the Israeli decision to launch a massive operation at a time when the U.S. is pushing for a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
Despite the timing, Vance made it clear the trip’s cancellation should not be interpreted as a rebuke of Israel. Instead, he cited domestic obligations that made the journey impractical.
“Logistically, it was just a little bit too hard on basic things like, who the hell is going to take care of our kids if we take another couple of days overseas?” Vance told reporters. “I’m sure we’ll visit Israel sometime in the future, but not today.”
Israel launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots on Friday, with the IDF expanding its military push in Gaza. The operation’s objective includes relocating an estimated two million Palestinians into a predesignated “humanitarian zone,” while large sectors of Gaza face targeted demolition. The scale and scope of the mission have sparked intense international scrutiny.
The move by the Israeli government has placed pressure on diplomatic efforts spearheaded by President Donald Trump, whose recent Gulf visit emphasized diplomacy, conflict resolution, and pragmatic deal-making over regional escalation.
According to Axios, there were ongoing internal discussions between U.S. and Israeli officials over the weekend in preparation for Vance’s anticipated visit. Israeli media even speculated the vice president would arrive as soon as Tuesday.
However, those reports were later shut down by a White House official, who clarified to the traveling press corps, “While the Secret Service has engaged in contingency planning for the addition of several potential countries, no additional visits were at any point decided upon, and logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome. He will return to Washington on Monday.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed the administration’s stance during a press briefing Monday morning in response to a question from ZeroHedge. “President Trump has made it very clear he wants to see this conflict in the region come to an end,” she stated.
“The president is moving as quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to end these conflicts in both Israel and Gaza and also the Russia-Ukraine war,” Leavitt continued. “The president made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released.”
As the Middle East remains in turmoil, the domestic political arena is abuzz with speculation about 2028. Though President Trump has given no formal indication about his preferred successor, JD Vance is quickly emerging as the Republican base’s top choice.
According to a recent JL Partners poll, Vance commands 46 percent of Republican voter support for the 2028 presidential nomination—an early but commanding lead.
Trailing far behind is Secretary of State Marco Rubio with just 6 percent, despite his expanded portfolio as interim National Security Adviser. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis garnered 8 percent, while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy followed at 7 percent.
Rubio, who has taken on a growing list of national security responsibilities, has nevertheless received public praise from President Trump in recent weeks.
“You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic,” Trump said in a sit-down with NBC. “You look at — I could name 10, 15, 20 people right now just sitting here.”
Still, according to a source quoted by the UK’s Telegraph, the 2028 question isn’t a priority for the president.
“No one is even thinking about it at the moment,” the source said. “The only agenda is getting the job done.”
Regardless of succession speculation, JD Vance’s rising popularity and strong grassroots support underscore his status as the frontrunner to carry forward the America First agenda beyond 2028.