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GOP members launch coordinated online criticism of VP Vance

Published 25 July 2026

Vice President JD Vance is facing a significant surge of online criticism from within the Republican Party, with detractors branding him unfit for office and launching a "Never Vance" campaign, according to his allies who describe the attacks as a coordinated political operation. The backlash, which has intensified over the past week, centers primarily on Vance's foreign policy positions, especially his efforts to broker a peace deal with Iran and his stance on U.S.-Israel relations.

The online campaign escalated sharply following Vance's nearly three-hour appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast on July 15. During the interview, the vice president described himself as a "reasonable moderate" on Israel policy and referenced a Time magazine report about an alleged online pro-Israel influence campaign. He stated that paid influencers had targeted him dishonestly and responded defiantly, telling critics to "go to hell" and emphasizing his duty to represent American interests first.

In the days after the podcast, analysis of social media platform X showed a spike in critical posts targeting Vance. Notable conservative commentators, including Ben Shapiro, Marc Thiessen, and Batya...

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