Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 8: US Vice President JD Vance has begun carving out a distinct political identity following the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections, placing greater emphasis on his own policy priorities rather than President Donald Trump's agenda as speculation grows over a possible 2028 presidential bid.

A review of half a dozen speeches delivered since the Republican convention in September shows that Vance largely made the case for Republicans through issues closely associated with his political outlook, including economic nationalism, restraint in foreign policy and public safety.

During the closing phase of the campaign, he largely avoided Trump's signature policies, particularly the war with Iran and immigration deportations, as declining public approval of the president appeared to weigh on Republican candidates.

Two people familiar with the strategy told Reuters that the shift was deliberate. Vance and his advisers believed the issues he had championed could appeal to voters and allow him to speak with authority. Although Trump has embraced these positions as part of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Vance has increasingly emerged as one of their leading advocates.

The approach has offered an early indication of how the 42-year-old vice president could establish his own political path as Republicans begin looking beyond Trump's presidency.

Vance has not announced whether he intends to contest the 2028 presidential election, and Trump has not endorsed him or any other potential successor. However, Vance is widely viewed as a leading Republican contender who may need to retain much of Trump's political coalition while distancing himself from controversies surrounding the president.

He took a more direct step towards defining his political position on Wednesday, when he issued an unusually blunt assessment of the Republican election defeat through a social media post. Vance blamed the Iran war for the party's poor performance and called for a swift end to the conflict.

He also urged Republicans to focus on the rising cost of living, reassess the country's foreign relations and reconsider the US relationship with Israel as part of an effort to rebuild the party's political fortunes.

The remarks marked the first time Vance had openly positioned himself in favour of ending the war. Trump, meanwhile, has continued to defend the military campaign, although he acknowledged that higher fuel prices resulting from the conflict contributed to the Republican defeat.

Trump has previously dismissed concerns over affordability as a Democratic "hoax" and launched the war against Iran following sustained lobbying by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also went on to endorse Netanyahu in the Israeli election.

Three people familiar with communications involving the White House and Vance told Reuters that the vice president's remarks did not represent a break with Trump. They also said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had been informed about the social media post in advance. Reuters could not independently determine whether Trump himself knew about it beforehand.

On Friday, Trump reshuffled senior White House leadership, replacing Wiles with Stephen Miller in a move seen as an indication that the administration intends to maintain a hardline approach on several key policies.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he understood Vance's assessment of the election results but maintained that he would not have changed his approach to the Iran conflict.

Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, publicly endorsed Vance's remarks, as did several conservative allies.

Republican strategist Michael Ricci, a former adviser to House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, said Vance's intervention had elevated him as a possible standard-bearer for the conservative movement after Trump.

Ricci said the vice president had pushed Republicans to debate the merits of the Iran war and, more broadly, the principles the party should embrace ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

He argued that Vance's approach should not be viewed simply as an attempt to distance himself from Trump, but as an effort to use the influence of the vice presidency to shape the party's political debate.

Representatives for Vance declined to comment. White House representatives referred Reuters to Trump's remarks, in which he said he understood the vice president's perspective on the election outcome.

Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to link Vance and any other Republican presidential nominee closely to Trump during the 2028 campaign. Democratic strategist Igor Volsky said a Republican candidate would face the challenge of appealing to general election voters while also securing the support of a party base that remains strongly loyal to Trump.

However, Vance's own campaign efforts did not shield him from the Republican setback. The party suffered defeats in states where he had campaigned, while some of the strategies he supported also came under scrutiny.

Among them was an advertisement by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that cast doubt on the sexual abuse suffered by Democratic candidate Amy Acton, who went on to win the election. The advertisement was among the campaign tactics that may have hurt Republican prospects.

Other potential Republican presidential contenders have also offered their explanations for the midterm defeat. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas argued that the party had not done enough to address affordability concerns, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said losing candidates had focused excessively on transgender issues instead of addressing voter concerns over data centres and artificial intelligence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has remained silent on the party's performance.

Vance's attempt to shape the Republican message was evident during the final days of campaigning. At rallies, he urged voters to support Republicans by promising investigations into alleged fraud in federal healthcare and anti-poverty programmes, linking the issue to immigration policy and the cost of living.

He largely avoided discussing the Iran war and rising fuel prices and seldom mentioned Trump by name.

At one of his final campaign rallies in North Carolina, Vance spoke about his aspirations for his children's future, saying he wanted them to grow up in a country that was vibrant, prosperous and free.

His remarks reflected an effort to shift the political conversation towards economic concerns and his own vision for the country, even as the Republican Party continues to grapple with the consequences of its midterm defeat and the question of who will lead it after Trump.