Trump Redirects Vance to Domestic Corruption Claims

President Donald Trump said on November 12 that he had directed Vice President JD Vance to focus on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states, while declaring that the United States did not need a deal with Iran. The public direction came as reports said Vance had been considering direct talks with Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei, leaving the status of that diplomatic effort uncertain.

In a Truth Social post, Trump named Minnesota, California and Illinois and alleged that billions of dollars were being stolen each month in Democratic-run jurisdictions. He said addressing the alleged theft could quickly balance the federal budget, but did not identify specific cases in the post. The allegations are Trump’s; the reports do not independently establish them.

Trump also said the United States had “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars” belonging to Iran and “got their Strait,” referring to the Strait of Hormuz. The reports provide no independent evidence establishing those assertions. Trump said that, as a result, a deal with Iran was no longer needed.

The announcement followed reporting that Vance was considering a face-to-face meeting with Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s...