Vice President JD Vance slammed fellow Republicans as “cowardly” for criticizing him anonymously after his involvement in a Signal group chat in which Trump officials planned airstrikes on Houthi militants in Yemen was revealed.
Newsweek contacted representatives of Vance for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The officials’ use of Signal, rather than a secure government platform, to discuss classified military plans has sparked widespread criticism, with experts saying the move may have violated the Espionage Act.
Some of that criticism has come from Republicans, signaling deepening divisions within the party.
What to Know
JD Vance’s rebuke of members of his own party came in response to an article published in Jewish Insider, which contained seven anonymous quotes from Republicans who expressed concerns over his foreign policy views expressed in the Signal chat.
Leaked messages from the chat were revealed by the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who said he was accidentally added to the message chain in which government officials, including Pete Hegseth, Mike Waltz and Marco Rubio, were planning airstrikes on Houthi militants in Yemen.
The U.S. launched the airstrikes on March 15 in response to the Houthi attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea. The first wave of attacks killed 53 people, according to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Health Ministry.
In the leaked messages, Vance said the Houthis are more of a problem for Europe than the United States and voiced doubt that it was in the U.S.’ interest to strike the Iran-backed group in Yemen.
In anonymous interviews with Jewish Insider, some Republican lawmakers described Vance’s reluctance to strike back after Houthi attacks on U.S. naval vessels as “shocking” and out of step with the GOP’s traditionally hawkish stance. One senator compared Vance’s perspective to the “Tucker Carlson view” of military power, suggesting a more restrained approach.
Others worried that Vance’s isolationist mindset could strain relations with European allies and Israel, with one senator calling it “very disappointing” that Vance didn’t share their view of the Houthi threat. Some speculated that Trump may regret picking Vance as his running mate, given his unconventional foreign policy stance.
Vance hit back at the story, calling it a “hit piece” and describing the Republicans who criticized him anonymously as “cowardly.”
He also pointed out a factual error, noting that the article incorrectly blamed the Houthis for killing three Americans in January, when the attack was actually carried out by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a separate militia group. The article has not been corrected. Vance also mocked Jewish Insider’s editor-in-chief, Josh Kraushaar, calling him either “the biggest hack” or “the dumbest journalist in Washington.”
Newsweek contacted Jewish Insider for comment via email.
Vance’s comments echo those of the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who told Jewish Insider: “These seven cowardly neocons attacking JD anonymously are genuine p***ies. If they really feel this way, then they should at least be man enough to put their names to these quotes. The fact that they are too cowardly to do that is exactly why I’m so happy that these RINOs are a dying breed in our party — whether they realize it or not.”
While some Republicans have criticized Vance, others have defended him.
Senator John Cornyn told Jewish Insider it was appropriate for Vance to share his perspective, arguing that confidentiality is necessary for officials to express differing opinions freely during policy discussions. Senator Markwayne Mullin agreed, saying Vance was right to ask questions in his role as vice president.
Meanwhile, Senator Thom Tillis acknowledged his disagreement with Vance’s isolationist stance, but credited him for being “consistent” in opposing the use of American power abroad unless there is a direct threat to the U.S.
On Wednesday, a group of Republican senators called for an investigation into the Signal leak scandal over allegations that the messages potentially included classified information. Trump initially said the information in the messages was not classified, but later appeared to change his tune, saying he didn’t know if the messages had contained classified information. On Monday, Hegseth rebuked Goldberg’s report, saying: “Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.”
Politico reported that tensions are rising among Republicans over the scandal, with the two wings of the party divided on what should happen with Waltz, who has said he mistakenly added Goldberg to the Signal chat and that he was looking into how it happened.
“Look, I take full responsibility, I built the group,” Waltz said. But Trump suggested the opposite during an interview.
“What it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission, somebody that worked with Mike Waltz at a lower level, had Goldberg’s number or call through the app, and somehow this guy ended up on the call,” Trump said.
A poll conducted by YouGov on March 25 among 5,976 U.S. adults, found that 60 percent of Republicans think the use of Signal by government officials to discuss airstrikes was “somewhat serious” or “very serious.” So did 89 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents.
Overall, 74 percent of respondents said the use of Signal by government officials to discuss airstrikes was “somewhat serious” or “very serious.” The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Vance wrote on X: “This morning, @JoshKraushaar ran a hit piece against me in Jewish Insider, which has become an anti-JD rag. It has many problems, including seven anonymous quotes from cowardly Republicans. But the most glaring factual error is the below, which says the Houthis killed three Americans last January. Actually, the group responsible for that attack was “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” which is an entirely different militia group. Now, you might say this is evidence of Kraushaar being the biggest hack in Washington, and you *may* be correct. Another very plausible explanation is that he’s the dumbest journalist in Washington. Either way, shocking an error like this could get through his vaunted editorial process!”
Tillis told Jewish Insider: “JD is consistent on this. He does not like to see the deployment or the projection of American power outside of a direct threat to the United States. He’s at least consistent on that. I disagree with him, but he is consistent.”
Cornyn told Jewish Insider: “I understand there was a discussion. They were trying to come up with a policy and they were encouraging different points of view before the president was able to make his decision. That’s part of the problem: When things aren’t confidential, then people don’t feel free to express themselves, which I think is important to giving the president the range of options that he needs and the different points of view to make the best decisions.
Republican senator Lisa Murkowski told the Hill: “This is what happens when you don’t really have your act together.”
What Happens Next
The Trump administration has not announced an investigation into the incident. It remains to be seen whether officials will adjust how they communicate or continue to use private messaging apps.
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