JD Vance holds press conference
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The gist
US Vice President JD Vance said he is not endorsing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's Oct.
His press conference also touched the midterm campaign and a fraud task force.
Background
JD Vance is the Vice President of the United States under President Donald Trump. His Oct. 21 press conference in Cincinnati came as he campaigned for Republican candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and it followed Trump's own 'Complete and Total Endorsement' of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Vance's remarks on Netanyahu followed recent interview comments and his past support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the political right in Germany.
How it unfolded
- Oct 8, 2026Vance speaks at a news conference on the Fraud Task Force at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.
- Oct 15, 2026Reports say Vance will hold a rally for Republican candidates in Monroe, Michigan, fewer than three weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
- Oct 20, 2026Trump and Vance are set to announce a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, with tips to fraud.gov eligible for up to $30,000.
- Oct 21, 2026At a news conference in Cincinnati, Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu, saying he is focused on the American midterm campaign.
- Oct 21, 2026Ahead of a campaign event with Vivek Ramaswamy and Ohio Sen. John Husted, Vance dismisses Republican criticism of a controversial ad from Ramaswamy's campaign.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Vance said he is 'not attacking Bibi Netanyahu' and 'not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu,' adding that the president's endorsement is ultimately what matters.
- Critics
- An opinion column argued Vance's own policies often overlap with socialism, suggesting he defines the term by what he personally finds objectionable.
- Caution
- Vance said he was 'a little bit disgusted' by Republicans who complain more about the Ramaswamy ad than about what Democrats want to do to the country.