By Vivian Salama and Lindsay Wise
WASHINGTON -- Sen. JD Vance returned to the Capitol with a critical assignment: Help President-elect Donald Trump shore up support among senators for his most contentious and unorthodox cabinet picks. An early setback in that mission underscores the challenges facing Trump's No. 2 when he enters the White House in just under two months.
Vance accompanied prospective nominees to hear firsthand from colleagues about their concerns. The visits went well, senators said, and by the end of the day, Trump's most endangered pick, Matt Gaetz for attorney general, seemed to have stabilized -- with many lawmakers saying they looked forward to confirmation hearings next year. Gaetz said he got a warm reception, and it marked a "great day of momentum" for the Trump-Vance administration.
But by the next morning, he was out, with Gaetz saying he was "unfairly becoming a distraction" to the Trump transition effort. He spoke to Vance before he made the announcement, and Vance said he was "extremely grateful" for the work Gaetz put into the effort.
Gaetz's abrupt exit came amid sexual-misconduct allegations that he denies. It was a deflating moment for the Trump-Vance team, which is trying to push through a crew of sometimes unconventional nominees who would shake things up in Washington.
But crucially, it also leaves an open question as to whether Vance will be as strong an asset for Trump on Capitol Hill as he was on the campaign trail -- and where he best fits in the crowded Trump orbit alongside heavy hitters such as Robert Kennedy Jr.and Elon Musk, who want to make their own marks on the administration' direction.
Vance has carved out a role as Trump's "policy attack dog" -- which he tested out during the campaign on issues such as abortion and immigration, hammering the media when the ticket received pushback on some of its more controversial policies and conspiracy theories. Polls show his approval numbers have soared from initially low numbers, helped by his strong debate performance and his ability to put a more articulate polish on Trumpism.
Transition officials believe Vance's recent role as sherpa for Gaetz and Defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth sets the stage for him to be a crucial interlocutor between the next Trump administration and Capitol Hill. The hope, according to Trump's team, is that Vance can pay visits to lawmakers to help voice Trump's policies in the future and persuade them to vote in support of bills they might bring to the House and Senate floors.
It may be awkward for Vance, given the president-elect routinely hands out his cellphone number to allies on the Hill and elsewhere, and encourages them to reach out directly, when needed. Before the election, Trump even dismissed the role of presidential running mates and said voters were more focused on voting for him, and him alone, when asked about some of Vance's early missteps on the campaign trail.
"When I call the White House, and if I left a message for five people who work there, the one most likely to call me back, and almost certainly the one that will do it first, is Donald Trump," said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.). "He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I've ever known...Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will."
But Cramer said Vance has a natural kinship with his fellow senators, and Vance and Trump could work very well together by dividing and conquering on the Hill.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) echoed that Vance's Hill relationships do matter. "That's why they have him bringing down Pete and Matt, because they know that he carries some weight up here," he said.
Since the election, Vance has largely been camped out at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, working the phones, attending meetings with prospective nominees and helping to articulate policies for the incoming administration. Passersby photographed him last week playing with his young children at the resort -- a security robo-dog standing guard nearby.
Transition officials and allied lawmakers said Vance is seen as being an extra asset, despite serving in the Senate just two years and having his share of disagreements with the very people he now needs to help confirm Trump's next cabinet, on issues such as his opposition to funding for Ukraine.
According to people close to Vance, the vice president-in-waiting offers strengths to the team based on the relationships he already has with Republicans on the Hill. They singled out Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.) and Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), with whom Vance's good relationship may have offered some leverage ahead of confirmation hearings.
Aides also said Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee for secretary of state, have a good relationship, and that Vance actively advocated for Rubio to get the role. Vance has privately weighed in on a number of other administration picks, offering his support for Tom Homan, Trump's pick for "border czar," and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to be director of national intelligence.
During his return to the Senate this past week, Vance, shadowed by a heavy security presence, hosted meetings with Trump's nominees behind closed doors and held court on the floor, where a parade of colleagues approached him to relay congratulations. Democrats were among those who paid their respects. He could be seen chatting amiably with retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I., Ariz.), while Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.), who is up for re-election next cycle, made a point to shake his hand.
It marked a rare appearance for Vance on Capitol Hill since the election. It came shortly after the vice president-elect drew some unwanted attention for the transition team, when he exchanged insults online with Grace Chong, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast. In a social-media post on X, Chong had lashed out at Vance and other Republican senators who missed a close vote on a Biden judicial nominee. Vance shot back on X, calling Chong a "mouth-breathing imbecile."
Both Vance and Chong deleted their tweets later the same day, by which time Vance was at the Capitol.
Vance said he was "meeting with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including FBI director" when the vote took place, adding that Democrats still would have gotten their nominee confirmed if the Republicans had shown up.
But Trump took to social media on Wednesday, making clear his displeasure about Republican absences, without naming Vance specifically. "Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line," he said.
Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance transition spokesman, blamed Democrats when asked about the incident.
"We cannot allow Chuck Schumer to play games with the transition's ability to staff the incoming administration. Under no circumstances should we allow radical left judges to be jammed through the Senate at the 11th hour, but the Vice President-elect is needed for the transition to continue working ahead of schedule," Hughes said in a statement.
Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com and Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 23, 2024 23:00 ET (04:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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