The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1923-did-israel-drag-us-into-war-in-iran?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
There are a lot of people out there in the online chattering class, including Trump supporters, who are saying,
This is ridiculous. We were told “no new wars.” We were told we certainly wouldn’t go to war with Iran. This is a complete betrayal of MAGA and America First.
Some are even arguing that if voters had known America was going to war with Iran, especially if we were going to get dragged into it by Israel, they never would have voted for Trump. He’s a liar, this is a betrayal.
Hold on.
President Trump has been clear for a decade that he is not going to let Iran get a nuclear weapon and that he is going to oppose the Iranian regime. He has also made it pretty clear that he does not like the fact that Iran has repeatedly tried to kill him.
But let’s go deeper than Trump’s rhetoric. Let’s look at what Vice President JD Vance has said.
Back in October 2024, during the vice-presidential debate, Vance was directly asked about a preemptive strike involving Israel and Iran. He was asked this exact question, and he gave an excellent answer:
<blockquote>“Look, it is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country safe. And we should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys.”</blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Vance: ‘It is up to Israel’ whether it would launch pre-emptive strike on Iran" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uy_ENOPCOp0?start=45&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Whether you agree or disagree with Vance’s statement, you cannot accuse the Trump administration of flip-flopping on this issue. You cannot accuse the Trump administration of hiding the ball or deceiving voters.
They promised to do exactly what they are doing now. And they have been very clearly telegraphing it for the past two months, with the military buildup in the Persian Gulf.
That doctrine was not invented last week. It was spelled out in a debate on national television.
Vance gave a similar answer to Sean Hannity back in July of 2024 when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1923-did-israel-drag-us-into-war-in-iran?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">he articulated</a> what he called the core of the Trump doctrine in foreign policy — you don’t commit America’s troops unless you really have to. But when you do, you “punch hard.”
“If you&#8217;re going to punch the Iranians, you punch them hard,” Vance told Hannity. “And that&#8217;s what he did. We took out Soleimani, by the way. That action, people said that it would lead to a broader war. It actually brought peace. It actually checked the Iranians and slowed them down a little bit.”
And if that weren’t enough, the administration telegraphed its intentions in another way: the military buildup in the Persian Gulf.
For the past two months, the United States has been gradually but severely building up military assets outside of Iran. Aircraft carriers. Strike groups. Strategic positioning. That kind of buildup does not happen overnight because a foreign leader calls and says, “Hey, we’re going in tomorrow. Do whatever you want.”
The notion that Israel sprang this on Washington at the last minute simply does not square with the scale and duration of that preparation.
Now, it may be true that Israeli action influenced the timing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said as much: Israel was going to strike, and Iran was going to retaliate against U.S. forces, whether we liked it or not. That forced a decision about whether to preemptively strike before American casualties mounted.
But that is not the same thing as saying the United States was dragged, kicking and screaming, into a war it never intended to fight.
There is a difference between timing and intent.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1923-did-israel-drag-us-into-war-in-iran?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show on DailyWire+</a></h3>
The administration’s position, whether you agree with it or not, is coherent. Iran’s missile and drone capabilities were advancing rapidly. Secretary Rubio has argued that within a year or so, Iran could cross a “threshold of immunity” — meaning it would have so many short-range missiles and drones that it could hold the region hostage.
That is the case they are making.
You can argue that intelligence is flawed. You can argue that the risk calculus is wrong. You can argue that the costs will outweigh the benefits. But you cannot say this was a surprise.
If you voted for this administration, and you were not aware that it took a hard line on Iran, that it supported Israel’s right to strike, and that it believed in overwhelming force when force is used — then you were not paying attention. That’s on you.
That is not an insult; it is an observation.
The Trump foreign policy doctrine has never been isolationist. It has never been “America hides under the covers.” It has been “America First,” which means pursuing American interests pragmatically and forcefully when necessary.
Reasonable minds can differ on whether this particular strike was wise, especially when people have different levels of information about whether or not the strike is a good idea. But in terms of the grand strategy, I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s much room for disagreement.
The administration did not flip overnight; they campaigned on confronting Iran. They defended preemptive action in principle. They promised to “punch hard” if they had to. And then they did exactly that.
You can call it reckless. You can call it bold. You can call it dangerous.
But you cannot call it hidden.

Senate Briefing As Congress Unlikely To Limit Trump On Iran War For Now

No One Was Deceived: The Iran Strike Was Telegraphed For Months

Donald Trump

Iran

JD Vance

Marco Rubio

Michael Knowles

Middle East

Opinion

Trump Administration

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the U.S. military has “much greater capacity” to destroy Iran&#8217;s nuclear program if necessary. 
Speaking with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Vance said that President Donald Trump would take every necessary action to ensure that Iran could not get a nuclear weapon. He said that the operation launched in June 2025 to take out multiple Iranian nuclear facilities damaged its ability to build nuclear weapons in the short term, but that the president wanted to block Iran&#8217;s capability for the long term. 
“We have a lot of capacity here,” Vance said. “Obviously, I&#8217;m not going to reveal classified information here on air, but the President of the United States knows what we&#8217;re able to do. He knows that we have much greater capacity to inflict damage on the Iranian nuclear program.”
“So I think the president has made it very clear that the United States has a lot of optionality here,” Vance added. 
Trump has estimated the operation could last four to five weeks, but has said it could continue longer to permanently eliminate Iran’s capacity to have a nuclear weapon. 
“We could go for a little bit longer, we could go for a lot longer, but I think the president just wants to make it clear to the Iranians and to the world that he is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can&#8217;t have a nuclear weapon,” he said. 
Vance, a former Marine who fought in Iraq, has been critical of previous American interventions in the Middle East. Watters asked whether the conflict with Iran could turn into another Iraq or Afghanistan. 
“There&#8217;s just no way that Donald Trump is gonna allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective.  What is different about President Trump, and it&#8217;s frankly different about both Republicans and Democrats of the past, is that he&#8217;s not going to let this country go to war unless there&#8217;s a clearly defined objective,” Vance said. “He&#8217;s defined that objective as Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and has to commit long-term to never trying to rebuild the nuclear capability.”

Vice President Vance Visits Machining Facility In Plover, Wisconsin

Vance: U.S. Has ‘Much Greater Capacity’ To Take Out Iran Nuclear Program

Global Politics

Jesse Watters

Politics

Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday that during Tuesday evening&#8217;s State of the Union address, he had only one thought running through his head the entire time: &#8220;Don&#8217;t make a stupid face for two hours.&#8221;
Vance, who sat directly behind President Donald Trump with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) during Trump&#8217;s record-setting speech, knew that he was going to be on camera the whole time the president was speaking, and was absolutely set on not making a fool of himself.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Vance: I have one thought in my head the whole time which is don&#8217;t make a stupid face for two hours, which is hard for me. <a href="https://t.co/zqkUWPZyXo">pic.twitter.com/zqkUWPZyXo</a>
— Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/2027078078241861707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The vice president revealed his &#8220;inner monologue&#8221; while speaking in Wisconsin on Thursday, saying that when congressional Democrats began saying and doing things in an attempt to disrupt Trump&#8217;s speech, he was worried that he might struggle with keeping a straight face.
Vance began by explaining that as he watched the events of the evening unfold — and as Democrats in the chamber shouted things at the president and one was even escorted out — he thought to himself what President Trump eventually said out loud: &#8220;These people are crazy!&#8221;
In that context, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVOzVPIgSUy/">he added</a>, &#8220;I have the best seat in the house in many ways. I&#8217;m sitting right next to the Speaker of the House, I&#8217;m sitting right behind the President of the United States, and I&#8217;ve got one internal monologue going on, one thought in my head the whole time, which is, &#8216;Don&#8217;t make a stupid face for two hours,&#8217; which is hard for me.&#8221;
&#8220;When you&#8217;re on TV for two hours, and the Democrats are doing crazy things — so I&#8217;ll give you a little lay of the land,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So to the left, my left, is all of the Republicans, okay, because I&#8217;m sitting right behind the president. And to my right is some Republicans but mostly the Democrats. So I see the reaction of all the Congressional Democrats, and it&#8217;s one of the most amazing things I&#8217;ve ever seen &#8230; they&#8217;re just scowling. They cannot clap their hands for a six-year-old who survived an attack from an illegal alien. What is that? What kind of a person can&#8217;t stand up and cheer for an innocent young girl who&#8217;s doing well and showing the entire country strength and resilience?&#8221;

Vice President JD Vance Speaks In Allentown, Pennsylvania

What Was Going Through JD Vance’s Mind When Dems Lost It At SOTU

Congress

Democrats

State of the Union

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) admitted during a Wednesday interview that Vice President JD Vance &#8220;scares&#8221; him as the potential heir apparent to helm the Make America Great Again movement going into the 2028 presidential election.
Newsom voiced his concerns to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on MS NOW, calling Secretary of State Marco Rubio &#8220;a complete fraud&#8221; and telling her that Vance, in particular, worried him &#8220;almost more than&#8221; President Donald Trump.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Marco Rubio is a complete fraud. But no one tops JD Vance. Talk about a guy who put a mask on his face and grew into it. Pathetic. <a href="https://t.co/fNbTEYJY4z">pic.twitter.com/fNbTEYJY4z</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/2026863309660492132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;There are some people waiting in the wings in the MAGA world who would love to be the chosen ones of the Trump orbit,&#8221; Psaki began, adding, &#8220;JD Vance is one of them. Marco Rubio is one of them. Do you think they can carry on the MAGA flame here?&#8221;
&#8220;No. But Vance, for whatever reason, scares me,&#8221; Newsom volunteered.
&#8220;Why?&#8221; Psaki pressed.
&#8220;Almost more than Trump. I don’t know. I just — I mean, talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it,&#8221; Newsom said, complaining that Vance and Rubio — as well as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — had been &#8220;effective&#8221; critics of Trump before coming around to his way of thinking.
&#8220;What frauds, what phonies. But JD is a unique fraud and phony. And he’s a little more dangerous. And — and the folks around him, these are not folks that believe — I mean, listen to some of its biggest funders, the way they talk. There’s a nihilism to the way they talk about the world,&#8221; Newsom continued, adding, &#8220;I know these guys. I literally know them, not figuratively know them. Some of them are in the book, knew them back when.&#8221;
&#8220;So, again, I don’t want to be overly hyperbolic about this,&#8221; Newsom said, just as he pivoted to be more hyperbolic: &#8220;So [Trump&#8217;s] going to try to run this out until right after the end, until he can pick and choose who goes behind him. Or, God forbid, we don’t take back the House of Representatives, he may be on that ballot.&#8221;
Psaki agreed, &#8220;He&#8217;ll try.&#8221;
&#8220;I just wouldn’t put it past him,&#8221; said Newsom.
Trump has repeatedly said that he will not seek a third term in the White House, and has demurred when asked who he might want to see replace him. Touting the skills of both Vance and Rubio, Trump has only said that either would be a good choice.

Governor Newsom And San Francisco Mayor Lurie Announce New Funding For Homelessness And Mental Health Ffforts In The City

Gavin Newsom Reveals The MAGA Successor Who Would Scare Him ‘Almost More Than Trump’

Gavin Newsom Admits He's Scared Of JD Vance

Gavin Newsom

Jen Psaki

MAGA

Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration would withhold nearly $260 million in Medicaid funding for the Democrat-controlled Minnesota state government following the state&#8217;s massive fraud scandal.
Vance, who was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the administration&#8217;s anti-fraud crackdown during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, said that Minnesota must prove that it &#8220;takes its obligation seriously to be good stewards of the American people&#8217;s tax money.&#8221; According to Vance, the Trump administration is withholding reimbursements for Medicaid services that Minnesota already paid for out of the state budget.
&#8220;What this means is that first of all, the providers on the ground in Minnesota have actually already been paid,&#8221; Vance said at a press conference alongside Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. &#8220;What we&#8217;re doing is we&#8217;re stopping the federal payments that will go to the state government until the state government takes its obligations seriously to stop the fraud that&#8217;s being perpetrated against the American taxpayer.&#8221;
Minnesota state leaders, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz, were informed of the Trump administration&#8217;s move, according to Oz, who said the federal government will hold the Medicaid payments until Minnesota properly addresses the fraud.
&#8220;If Minnesota fails to clean up the systems, the state will rack up $1 billion of deferred payments this year,&#8221; Oz <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026781835179565155">said</a>.
Oz assured reporters that the Medicaid funding freeze would not &#8220;hurt&#8221; Minnesota residents, since the state&#8217;s budget has a &#8220;rainy-day fund&#8221; to cover the lapse in funding.
&#8220;If providers and beneficiaries are worried about getting their money and services, please call your governor. These are services the governor has already paid for. We are just not reimbursing the state,&#8221; Oz said, adding, &#8220;This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it&#8217;s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously.&#8221;
Vance has zeroed in on 14 state programs in Minnesota, which include autism service providers and medical service transports that the administration believes are rife with fraud. The Trump administration is giving Walz 60 days to respond to its letter informing the state government of its freeze on Medicaid funding.
The vice president called out so-called services in Minnesota that have received millions in taxpayer dollars, only to make fraudsters rich. Federal prosecutors recently uncovered a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million">massive fraud scheme</a> in Minnesota, resulting in dozens of convictions so far.
Minnesota&#8217;s “Feeding Our Future” program received federal funds and claimed to distribute meals to hungry children during the COVID pandemic, but allegedly never did so. The vast majority of those charged in the fraud scheme were of Somali descent.
Vance <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026778961930268688">said</a> on Wednesday that the administration also found that a Minnesota program that was supposed to help kids with autism &#8220;has made a number of people rich, not by providing services to needy children, but by allowing fraudsters to take money that ought by right go to American citizens and to American families.&#8221;
Dr. Oz said at the White House press conference that the new Trump administration effort would be the &#8220;largest anti-fraud effort of its kind&#8221; in the history of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Oz said that a fraud scheme in Minnesota pays mothers around $1,000 to falsely enroll their children as autistic and then Medicaid is billed for millions of dollars in &#8220;services that were never rendered.&#8221;
&#8220;These schemes disproportionately involve immigrant communities,&#8221; Oz <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026781360266830026">added</a>. &#8220;They&#8217;re able to organize efforts, and sometimes they don&#8217;t understand what&#8217;s going on. And ultimately, it diverts resources away from kids who truly have autism.&#8221;
Daycare and learning centers linked to Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis area have also come under <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-daycare-fraud-has-been-going-on-at-least-a-decade-and-theres-video-to-prove-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutiny</a> for suspected fraud after independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a 42-minute video in December that showed him visiting numerous daycares that have received state funding, but don’t appear to be serving any children.

Vance Takes First Major Action As Fraud Czar With Sights Set On Minnesota

Fraud

Medicaid

Mehmet Oz

Minnesota

Tim Walz

In politics, it&#8217;s never too early to start looking ahead. For Republicans today, that means thinking about who will lead their party after Trump leaves the scene.
Legal and political analyst Frank DeVito believes Vice President JD Vance is the man for the job, a case he lays out in the new book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHF4L24Y?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_JPP9MYR69NK8ZJSEVTPT&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_JPP9MYR69NK8ZJSEVTPT&amp;social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_JPP9MYR69NK8ZJSEVTPT&amp;bestFormat=true">JD Vance and the Future of the Republican Party</a>.” 
“I think there&#8217;s a pretty good argument that [Trump] chose somebody who has the potential to be a post-Trump leader of the Republican Party and the MAGA movement,” DeVito told The Daily Wire. 
To say not every Republican agrees with that assessment is an understatement. While Vance has become a central figure in the Trump coalition, critics on both the populist right and the GOP&#8217;s more traditional conservative wing question whether his relatively short tenure in national office and shifting political positions make him the natural heir to the movement.
DeVito makes the case that Vance isn’t simply riding the Trump wave, but represents a deeper shift inside the GOP. He says Vance’s focus on family, faith, practicality, and a willingness to confront institutions that have clearly stopped working for normal people are a huge part of the appeal. 
“One of the priorities that he is clearly focused on,&#8221; DeVito says, &#8220;is how do we provide a world where as many people as possible can get married, have stable marriages, and raise children.&#8221;
That emphasis has landed Vance in hot water before, especially when he criticized the Left’s open hostility toward the family. But DeVito said he agrees with Vance’s stance.
“How does any civilization function?” he asked. “You have parents who have children, they raise those children as best they can … You can’t really have civilization without that.”
He points out how normalized it’s become to dismiss those foundations entirely, which leads to civilizational collapse. “If kids are being raised by institutions instead of stable parents … who exactly do we think is going to be running the country in 30 years?” he asked. 
That’s also the context behind one of Vance’s most controversial remarks about how world leaders without children may lack the long-term perspective required to govern well. The backlash was extreme, but DeVito claims the point Vance was making is just obvious. “I would hope leaders are thinking not just about the next election or their stock portfolio, but about what kind of country their grandchildren are going to inherit,” he said.
The comments were criticized not only by Democrats but by some Republicans, who warned that this kind of rhetoric could be politically damaging in a general election.
But it does help to explain Vance’s political evolution, especially his highly scrutinized shift from Trump skeptic to Trump’s running mate. While some conservatives rightly question this about face, DeVito argues it wasn’t opportunism, but a reflection of Vance reassessing Trump’s role in confronting institutional power. 
“If you think American institutions are basically healthy and just need minor corrections, then of course Trump looks insane,” he said. “But what Vance came to believe is that he was wrong about how broken those institutions really are.”
Once Vance figured out the depth of the rot, he pivoted. “They’re actually so co-opted that it might take dropping some dynamite into the system to recover a sane America,” DeVito explained. In that light, Trump isn’t wrecking things for fun, he’s doing what needs to be done to reshape the culture.
What gives Vance credibility here, DeVito insists, is his unique experience going from a broken home to running in elite circles. “How do we create an America where normal people can get married, raise kids, and have meaningful work?” DeVito said. “That question animates everything Vance does.”
Vance grew up amid addiction and instability, then passed through Yale Law and into the upper echelons of society. What he found, DeVito said, was a stunning disconnect. “The elites think things are great and getting better,” he said. “Meanwhile, in the communities Vance came from, it’s addiction, joblessness, broken families, and despair.” 
Faith, again, plays a role here. DeVito argues that Vance’s Catholicism isn’t political branding, but is just more proof that the politician is willing to embrace a truth even when it could hurt his popularity. “There&#8217;s really nothing advantageous to your political career about becoming a Catholic in 2026 or when he converted … So I don&#8217;t think he would do it unless it was genuine,” the author said.
DeVito said in the book that Vance is uniquely positioned to unify the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party in 2015 when Trump went down the escalator was something very different than it is now,” he said, noting how that change hinged on the charisma and force of one person over the last decade. 
Whether that unity is achievable remains an open question, particularly as factions within the party continue to debate the future of MAGA itself.
DeVito also mentioned that the person on deck doesn’t have an easy job. “It&#8217;s a hard dance,&#8221; he observed. &#8220;Nobody&#8217;s going to be Donald Trump.&#8221;

Is JD Vance The GOP’s Post-Trump Future? One Author Makes The Case.

Is JD Vance the GOP’s Post-Trump Future? One Author Makes The Case

Books

Conservatism

Republican Party

Vice President JD Vance roasted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday after she was stumped by a question on Taiwan at the Munich Security Conference.
“You bring me on your show, you show me the most uncomfortable 20 seconds of television I&#8217;ve ever seen,” Vance told Fox News host Martha MacCallum after watching the cringeworthy clip.
Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-mocked-for-global-stage-disaster-then-phones-a-friend">fumbled</a> the question and made other gaffes throughout her tour of the conference, meant to display her foreign policy chops as a young Democratic socialist who is in position to take up the standard of 84-year-old Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Vance said that Ocasio-Cortez’s display shows that she, as a politician, relies too much on scripted answers.
“I think it&#8217;s a person who doesn&#8217;t know what she actually thinks, and I&#8217;ve seen this way too much in Washington with politicians where they&#8217;re given lines, and when you ask them to go outside the lines they were given, they completely fall apart,” the vice president said.
“Look, that was embarrassing,” said Vance. “If I had given that answer, I would say, ‘You know what, maybe I ought to go read a book about China and Taiwan before I go out on the world stage again.’ I hope that Congresswoman Cortez has the same humility. I&#8217;m skeptical.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> just COOKED <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> for her answers in Munich:
“I think it’s a person who doesn’t know what she actually thinks &#8230; if I had given that answer, I would say, ‘You know what, maybe I oughta go read a book about China and Taiwan before I go out on the world stage again.’” <a href="https://t.co/UfUcjfZSei">pic.twitter.com/UfUcjfZSei</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/2023863411801727153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
As Ocasio-Cortez flashed her smile around Munich last week, she was asked about the United States&#8217; relationship with Taiwan and whether Washington should come to the island nation’s aid if it is attacked by China. For about 20 seconds, Ocasio-Cortez grasped about for a coherent thought before stumbling on an answer that appeared to rehash the United States’ longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity about a potential conflict between Beijing and Taipei.
While Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s flub of the question over Taiwan was perhaps the most embarrassing of her Munich tour, it was not a one-off. The New York Democrat also mistakenly claimed that Venezuela is south of the equator. Ocasio-Cortez also attempted to mock Secretary of State Marco Rubio for pointing out that the American cowboy and much of the culture that surrounds him has its roots in Spain.
“Rubio’s speech was a pure appeal to Western culture. My favorite part was when he said that American cowboys came from Spain. I believe the Mexicans and descendants of African slave peoples would like to have a word on that,” Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-tries-to-dunk-on-rubio-over-cowboys-from-spain-history-dunks-back">said</a>, mistakenly attempting to correct Rubio. Even the word cowboy is a literal translation of the Spanish word “vaquero.”

Vance Mocks AOC’s Taiwan Flub At Munich: ‘Most Uncomfortable 20 Seconds Of Television’

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

General

Munich

The latest release of FBI files reveals little evidence that Jeffrey Epstein ran a sex-trafficking ring, Vice President JD Vance becomes the highest-ranking American official to visit Armenia, and a Hong Kong court sentences pro-democracy CCP critic Jimmy Lai to prison.
It’s Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epstein-release-raises-eyebrows-vance-visits-armenia/id1576594336?i=1000749053832" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">FBI’s Epstein Files Findings</h2>
Analysis of newly released Epstein documents shows that the FBI found little evidence that Jeffrey Epstein was running a sex-trafficking ring for powerful individuals. According to an analysis of millions of documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the FBI found insufficient evidence that Epstein was operating a sex-trafficking ring involving other wealthy or influential people. While the files confirm that Epstein sexually abused underage girls, there was not enough evidence to prove that he supplied minors to other powerful men. These conclusions are based on media reports of released DOJ and FBI documents, such as internal memos, and the DOJ has not issued an independent statement confirming these findings. Some politicians and commentators say there are far too many redactions and not enough of the documents have been released. The DOJ says many documents could not be made public for several reasons, including victim privacy.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Vance’s Historic Armenia Trip</h2>
Vice President Vance became the first president or vice president in American history to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-beginning-jd-vance-signs-nuclear-deal-in-historic-visit-to-armenia?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98A+New+Beginning%E2%80%99%3A+JD+Vance+Signs+Nuclear+Deal+In+Historic+Visit+To+Armenia">travel</a> to Armenia this week. He met on Monday with Armenia’s Prime Minister, who signed a document reaffirming Armenia’s commitment to peace with Azerbaijan. The peace was negotiated six months ago by President Donald Trump after more than 30 years of conflict. The vice president also announced a deal for the United States to sell Armenia $11 million in drone technology, and that the two countries are working on a civil nuclear agreement. Stepan Sargsyan, a former Armenian governor who works closely with the prime minister, spoke to The Daily Wire about Armenia’s geopolitical importance: “The United States has a strategic interest into region because, both Armenia and Azerbaijan, being in the South Caucasus, represent an important corridor which serves as a bridge between East and West, be it for various oil and gas pipelines or trade between China and Europe.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Jimmy Lai Sentenced</h2>
In what’s being seen as a major blow to the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, British businessman Jimmy Lai was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hong-kong-court-sends-ccp-critic-pro-democracy-publisher-jimmy-lai-to-prison-for-20-years">sentenced</a> to 20 years in prison on Monday. Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, was widely seen as the last free press outlet in Hong Kong. Lai is now 78 years old, which means he could very likely spend the rest of his life in prison. His chances of escaping now lie with President Trump, according to Robert Sirico, a Catholic priest and longtime friend of Lai. Trump has previously pushed for Lai’s release, and he has another meeting scheduled with Xi Jinping, head of China&#8217;s ruling Communist Party, in April. That could be where a deal for Lai is negotiated. Sirico told The Daily Wire in December, after Lai was convicted, that Lai’s release should be a top priority, despite the complexity that bargaining over Lai’s life would cause in international relations. “We are being judged by this, the way we react to this man. This man needs to be a Solzhenitsyn. He needs to be a Mandela. He needs to be seen in that light,” said Sirico.

US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-EPSTEIN

Morning Brief: The FBI’s Epstein Findings, JD Vance In Armenia, & Jimmy Lai Sent To Prison

Armenia

China

Hong Kong

Jeffrey Epstein

Jimmy Lai

Morning Wire

Vice President JD Vance became the highest-ranking U.S. official to ever visit Armenia while in office on Monday, joining Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to sign a civil nuclear agreement as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to secure peace in the South Caucasus.
During Vance&#8217;s visit, Pashinyan also reaffirmed Armenia&#8217;s commitment to the peace deal between his country and Azerbaijan that was brokered by President Donald Trump last August. The agreement signed on Monday promises $9 billion in potential U.S. investment in Armenia&#8217;s nuclear sector, an $11 million shipment of U.S. drones to the South Caucasus country, and a partnership on the sale of Nvidia chips to Armenia.
Vance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/9NXWxKZhejE?si=zEdoR-IYl-vdgbcQ">called</a> the agreement a &#8220;win-win&#8221; that will provide additional energy exports to Armenia from the United States, as well as economic opportunities for American companies and security for Armenia. The nuclear cooperation would set up &#8220;a way for American and Armenian companies to strike deals on civil nuclear projects,&#8221; according to Vance, who added, &#8220;That means up to five billion dollars in initial U.S. exports, plus an additional four billion in long-term support through fuel and maintenance contracts.&#8221;
The civil nuclear agreement marks a major shift for Armenia, which has long relied on Russia for its energy and security. After President Trump took office last January, the United States strengthened its relationship with Armenia, a country that has grown increasingly open to the West under Pashinyan. Last August, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-week-in-armenia-hope-emerges-after-trumps-major-steps-toward-peace">struck a peace deal</a> between Armenia and its neighbor, Azerbaijan, after years of conflict that saw over 100,000 ethnic Armenians forced to flee Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside of Azerbaijan that has been home to Armenians for thousands of years.
Pashinyan said that Vance&#8217;s visit &#8220;reflects the depth of the strong and strategic partnership&#8221; between the United States and Armenia. The prime minister also expressed gratitude for President Donald Trump&#8217;s work to negotiate a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan and strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship.
&#8220;After the Washington Peace Summit, [Azerbaijani] President Aliyev and I nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize through a joint letter, and I have great hope that the president will rightfully receive this award in 2026,&#8221; Pashinyan added.
Vance commented on the &#8220;visionary&#8221; accomplishment that Trump achieved alongside Pashinyan in the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan last year.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not just making peace for Armenia, we&#8217;re also creating real prosperity for Armenia and the United States together,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;So much of the great cooperation that we&#8217;re going to announce today would not have been possible without [Pashinyan&#8217;s] leadership, without the peace that you committed your country to and without, of course, the president of the United States&#8217; leadership.&#8221;
&#8220;I really do believe that tonight marks a new beginning for Armenia and the United States and the partnership that our countries can have together,&#8221; Vance added.
Monday&#8217;s energy and economic agreement between the United States and Armenia comes on top of plans to develop an international trade route in Armenia to better connect the country to its neighbors. The route, which would be called the Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), would open up more opportunities for business and trade in the region that has long been unstable. The Trump administration is hopeful that TRIPP will also ensure that the peace agreement signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan &#8220;will stick.&#8221;
Stepan Sargsyan, a former Armenian governor who works closely with the prime minister, told The Daily Wire on Monday that the TRIPP project is moving along smoothly.
&#8220;Right now, the Americans and Armenians and their Azeri counterparts are working very diligently and very expeditiously to bring it into fruition,&#8221; Sargsyan said. &#8220;Actually, literally a few days ago, the American embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, announced that a team of engineers from a U.S. company had already arrived in Armenia to do the surveying [for TRIPP]. So, we too in Armenia are very hopeful that this will come into existence very, very quickly.&#8221;
Vance plans to travel to Azerbaijan on Tuesday in hopes of continuing the Trump administration&#8217;s successful negotiations in the region and moving the August agreement forward.
In his press conference with Pashinyan on Monday, Vance also highlighted Armenia&#8217;s Christian foundation. Armenia is known as the first Christian nation in the world, officially declaring itself Christian in A.D. 301. Vance called Armenia a &#8220;true bedrock of Christian civilization and culture.&#8221;
&#8220;As a devout Christian myself, I know the meaning of this country to the entire world and to the religion that the prime minister and I share,&#8221; Vance added.

U.S. Vice President Vance Travels To Armenia

‘A New Beginning’: JD Vance Signs Nuclear Deal In Historic Visit To Armenia

Azerbaijan

Economy

Foreign Policy

WASHINGTON—Donald Trump showed up in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 with thousands of water bottles and a message for the anxious citizens: they deserved better than the lethargic federal response they had received from President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration to the toxic train derailment in their village.
&#8220;In too many cases, your goodness and perseverance were met with indifference and betrayal,&#8221; then-candidate Trump told the people of East Palestine, flanked by then-Senator JD Vance and local officials. That train derailment had caused toxic chemicals to spill from train cars, killing animals, setting fires, and causing residents to become sick with a gruesome array of illnesses.
That moment has been widely considered an &#8220;inflection point&#8221; in the president&#8217;s journey back to the White House. Journalist Salena Zito, who trudged through the toxic mud of East Palestine that day with Trump and Vance, said it was the critical day in Trump&#8217;s comeback.
&#8220;If he is able to resurrect the magic of 2016, understanding the forgotten man and woman and the dignity of work, it started here, the day he showed up when Biden refused,&#8221; Zito wrote.
This week marked three years since the toxic train derailment, and both Trump and the senator who joined him that day are now in the White House. Yet the signature piece of legislation written in response, which Vance co-sponsored, still hasn&#8217;t been passed by Congress, and <a href="https://jacobin.com/2024/06/rail-safety-train-length-lobbying">was considered</a> largely defeated by the railway industry.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/576">Railway Safety Act</a> mandates the Transportation Department issue safety regulations for trains carrying hazardous materials. It gained <a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/05/12/bipartisan-rail-safety-bill-headed-for-u-s-senate-vote/">strong bipartisan momentum</a> and was loudly backed by Trump, who used it as an attack line in his political fight against Biden.
<div id="attachment_1039677" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-years-after-east-palestine-the-fight-over-railway-legislation-chugs-along/environmental-and-health-concerns-grow-in-east-palestine-ohio-after-derailment-of-train-cars-containing-hazardous-material-7" rel="attachment wp-att-1039677"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1039677" class="wp-image-1039677 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1247332026-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1247332026-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1247332026-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1247332026-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1247332026.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>A fish lies dead following a train derailment prompting health concerns on February 20, 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;Crooked Joe Biden has still not visited the incredible Patriots of East Palestine, and Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] couldn’t get out of there fast enough. But that’s ok — our movement will be their voice, and we will NEVER forget them,&#8221; Trump promised as he campaigned in 2024. &#8220;JD Vance has been working hard in the Senate to make sure nothing like this EVER happens again, and that’s why it’s so important for Congress to pass his Railway Safety Act. JD’s terrific bill has my Complete and Total Endorsement!&#8221;
The topic is now back on the table in Congress. A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill gathered this week, calling for the act to pass the bill out of committee, or into the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.
“Every single week of the year, there’s a derailment,&#8221; said Republican Michael Rulli of Ohio, who represents East Palestine and co-sponsored the 2025 version of the bill. &#8220;We only heard about Palestine because we had all these chemicals on it. And the way we handled it was horrific. We got to do better. We got to keep pressure on Congress, on both chambers and both sides of the political aisle so we can do better.&#8221;
“We’re holding people accountable,&#8221; added Democrat Emilia Sykes, also from Ohio, &#8220;primarily the railroad operators, for any issues that they may be having and provide advice and guidance.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1039673" style="width: 924px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-years-after-east-palestine-the-fight-over-railway-legislation-chugs-along/us-transport-accident-fire-8" rel="attachment wp-att-1039673"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1039673" class="wp-image-1039673 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1246796087-914x576.jpg" alt="" width="914" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1246796087-914x576.jpg 914w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1246796087-300x189.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1246796087-768x484.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1246796087.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px" /></a>Smoke rises from a derailed cargo train in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 4, 2023.  (Photo by DUSTIN FRANZ/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
One of the groups opposing the bill is Mike Pence&#8217;s Advancing American Freedom — a fact seen as a net positive by those in Trump world who want the bill to finally advance. If the former vice president opposes something, it only makes it more of a priority for Trump&#8217;s White House, one senior official told The Daily Wire.
“Anyone that wants the Trump administration to support a piece of legislation should pay Mike Pence’s think tank and its lobbying arm to oppose it,&#8221; the senior White House official told The Daily Wire.
Advancing American Freedom, along with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, organized a group of think tank leaders who <a href="https://cei.org/coalition_letters/protecting-affordability-and-innovation-keep-prescriptive-rail-mandates-out-of-surface-transportation-legislation/">wrote to Congress on January 29</a> opposing the inclusion of the Railway Safety Act &#8220;in any surface transportation reauthorization legislation.&#8221;
&#8220;Surface transportation bills are intended to modernize infrastructure, improve mobility, and support economic growth,&#8221; the groups wrote. &#8220;As such, they are not an appropriate vehicle for resurrecting rail mandates that have repeatedly failed to advance through Congress on their own merits and have even been set aside by the committees of jurisdiction due to concerns about cost, feasibility, and unintended consequences.&#8221;
The letter suggests that the Railway Safety Act&#8217;s regulations would &#8220;amount to a vote against affordability,&#8221; urging Congress to &#8220;keep RSA-style mandates out of surface transportation reauthorization and instead pursue policies that advance safety, affordability, and economic growth through flexibility, innovation, and sound governance.&#8221;
John Shelton, Vice President of Policy at Advancing American Freedom, argued to The Daily Wire: &#8220;We know how to bring costs down and improve rail safety through automation and deregulation. We saw it work during the first Trump administration. Rather than turn our backs on those successes, we should lean further into that same formula.&#8221;
The think tanks are joined in their opposition by the railroad lobby, which also opposes the bill.
&#8220;We value our ongoing partnership with the Administration and share a commitment to advancing its domestic agenda — strengthening U.S. manufacturing, onshoring critical supply chains, driving down costs for consumers and businesses, accelerating innovation, and pursuing smart regulatory reform,&#8221; Ted Greener, senior vice president of communications at the Association of American Railroads, told The Daily Wire.
Greener argues that the Transportation Department&#8217;s move to expand field testing of automated track inspection technology &#8220;reflects the right, data-driven path forward,&#8221; calling the Railway Safety Act &#8220;repeatedly rejected, including by current congressional leaders.&#8221;
Still, a Republican strategist close to the White House sees a future for the bill. They argued that the Railway Safety Act has long been championed by both the president and the vice president.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a rare piece of legislation that is popular with both the MAGA populist base and the broader electorate,&#8221; the strategist suggested, &#8220;and would give the administration a strong bipartisan political win.&#8221;

Former President Trump Visits East Palestine, Ohio As Health Concerns Remain After Train Derailment

Three Years After East Palestine, The Fight Over Railway Legislation Chugs Along

East Palestine

Ohio

Railroads

Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the Trump administration is working to form a trading bloc with allies and partners throughout the world to stabilize critical mineral markets and counter China&#8217;s dominance.
Vance stressed the importance of forming the critical minerals trading alliance with global partners to diversify supply, &#8220;while strengthening the partner countries who help all of us in this shared effort.&#8221;
Most of the world relies heavily on China for critical minerals that are used for everyday tech items like smartphones and computers, and also for vital military equipment. China controls around 70% of rare earth mining and 90% of rare earth processing.
&#8220;This morning, the Trump administration is proposing a concrete mechanism to return the global critical minerals market to a healthier, more competitive state, a preferential trade zone for critical minerals protected from external disruptions through enforceable price floors,&#8221; Vance said.
Vance made the remarks to representatives from over 50 countries at the inaugural <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4eeZ4ctK4">Critical Minerals Ministerial</a>, which was hosted by the U.S. Department of State. The event was held just two days after President Donald Trump announced a new initiative called &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/introducing-project-vault-a-critical-mineral-stockpile-for-american-businesses-%F0%9F%92%8E%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/">Project Vault</a>,&#8221; which aims to create a stockpile of critical minerals to protect American companies and consumers from shortages and changes in the critical mineral supply chain.
The vice president said it&#8217;s a priority for the Trump administration to stop foreign companies and governments from flooding the market with &#8220;cheap critical minerals to undercut our domestic manufacturers.&#8221; The &#8220;preferential trade zone&#8221; would set up reliable production centers and supply chains that could not be affected by outside actors, such as China, according to Vance.
Following Vance&#8217;s remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told those attending the event that he hopes the gathering &#8220;will lead to not just more gatherings, but action.&#8221; Rubio added that the United States &#8220;outsourced manufacturing&#8221; to such a degree that it &#8220;outsourced our economic security and our very future.&#8221;
&#8220;We were at the mercy of whoever controlled supply chains for these minerals,&#8221; Rubio added. &#8220;So, my hope is that we are gathered here today as the first but important step to rectifying this mistake — to bring together our collective talent for innovation.&#8221;
The Trump administration has already announced <a href="https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/february/ambassador-jamieson-greer-announces-critical-minerals-cooperation-european-union-and-japan">agreements</a> with Japan, Mexico, and the European Union to develop a critical mineral supply chain.
“Today’s announcement is an important signal that the world’s largest market-oriented economies are committed to developing a new paradigm for preferential trade in critical minerals,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. “Through the development of these Action Plans, we will lay the groundwork for a binding plurilateral agreement on trade in critical minerals with like-minded partners.&#8221;
As U.S. leaders gathered with representatives from dozens of countries to discuss critical minerals, President Trump said he had an &#8220;excellent telephone conversation&#8221; with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said he and Xi discussed numerous issues, including trade, Taiwan, the Ukraine-Russia war, and China&#8217;s potential purchase of American oil and gas.
&#8220;The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116013105630663812">wrote</a>. &#8220;I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Project Vault&#8221; plan will be funded with a <a href="https://www.exim.gov/news/project-vault">$10 billion</a> loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, along with another $1.67 billion in private capital.

White House Aims To Counter China With Critical Minerals Alliance Of Over 50 Countries

In a video address to thousands of pro-life advocates gathered at the nation&#8217;s Capitol on Friday for the 53rd annual March for Life, President Donald Trump said his administration was bringing back faith in America.
Trump, who spoke at the March for Life back in 2020, submitted a taped message for march attendees this year that highlighted his appointment of Supreme Court judges who overturned Roe v. Wade and his push to end taxpayer funding for abortion. The president also noted his support for religious liberty protections and bringing faith back into the public square.
“Now, the work to rebuild a culture that supports life continues in every state, every community, and every part of our beautiful land,” Trump told attendees. “This is a battle that must be fought, must be won, not only in the corridors of power, but above all, in the hearts and souls of the people. That is why under the Trump administration, we&#8217;re strongly defending religious liberty. We&#8217;re bringing back faith in America. We&#8217;re bringing back God.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump to the March for Life: &#8220;For 53 years, students, families, patriots and believers have come to Washington from every corner of the country to defend the infinite worth and God-given dignity of every human life &#8230; this is a battle that must be fought, must be won,… <a href="https://t.co/EAk4idSVWI">pic.twitter.com/EAk4idSVWI</a>
— March for Life (@March_for_Life) <a href="https://twitter.com/March_for_Life/status/2014749790987239858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump&#8217;s address comes as his administration has faced some criticism over its handling of abortion pill regulations and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-republicans-should-be-flexible-on-rule-that-bars-taxpayer-funded-abortions">comments</a> the president made on Republicans being flexible with the Hyde Amendment, a provision that bans taxpayer funding of abortion. In his speech and in a White House proclamation issued on Friday, Trump promised to continue fighting for &#8220;the eternal truth that every child is a gift from God.&#8221;
After Trump’s message played, Vice President JD Vance spoke to the crowd, highlighting multiple major pro-life policy announcements the administration rolled out this week.
“Building a culture of life requires persuasion, and that&#8217;s what&#8217;s so different about this moment compared to the moment that was dominated by the Supreme Court for 50 years,” Vance said. “We&#8217;re not trying to argue to the Supreme Court anymore. We are trying to argue to our fellow citizens, and we must build up that culture of life.”
Vance said that changing the culture would take a lot of time, energy, and money. He also said it would mean embracing policies that make it easier for Americans to have families.
In the lead-up to the march, the Trump administration announced multiple major pro-life policies including expanding the Mexico City policy to cut off funding for non-governmental groups that fund abortion, launching a review of whether Planned Parenthood illegally took tens of millions in COVID loans, ending funding for fetal tissue research, and taking action to protect the rights of medical professionals in Illinois to not refer for abortions.
The vice president also addressed criticism from some pro-life groups about the administration’s actions on the issue of abortion.
“I must address an elephant in the room,” Vance said, which he described as “a fear that some of you have that not enough progress has been made, that not enough has happened in the political arena, that we&#8217;re not going fast enough, that our politics have failed to answer the clarion call to life.&#8221;
Vance said that despite “debates within this movement,” there would be “open conversations about how best to use our political system to advance life, how prudential we must be in the cause of advancing human life.”
In recent months, some pro-life advocates have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-senate-to-zero-in-on-exposing-the-dangers-of-the-abortion-pill?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=37&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Senate+To+Zero+In+On+‘Exposing+The+Dangers’+Of+The+Abortion+Pill">criticized</a> the Trump administration for keeping in place Biden-era Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that allow for the abortion drug mifepristone to be shipped through the mail. This policy has allowed thousands of pills to be shipped into states where medication abortions are technically illegal. The FDA has promised to conduct a safety study of the drug and review its approval.

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