Vice President JD Vance is facing an escalating online campaign from critics within the Republican Party as he weighs his political future, with allies arguing the barrage is a coordinated effort to undermine the 2028 frontrunner before the primary battle even begins. So far, that effort has fallen flat.
Backers of the “Never Vance” movement have flooded social media in recent days with attacks accusing Vance of being “unfit” to serve as vice president because of his efforts to pursue a peace deal with Iran. Others have claimed, without evidence, that he is pushing policies that conflict with President Donald Trump’s agenda. Some have even compared him to former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
The sustained criticism is unusual both for its intensity and its timing, arriving two years before Republicans are expected to choose Trump’s successor. Allies say the attacks reflect the increasingly influential role of online activists rather than the views of rank-and-file GOP voters.
Vance’s political team has largely shrugged off the social media campaign, arguing it has had little impact with Republican voters. A close ally told The Washington Post many of the attacks appear to be coordinated rather than organic, a view echoed by two others familiar with the vice president’s political strategy. They spoke anonymously to discuss internal deliberations.
Despite the coordinated online barrage, JD Vance remains the clear frontrunner in early 2028 Republican primary polling. Surveys continue to show his standing among Republican voters closely tracks President Trump’s, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio has gained support among more traditional, business-oriented Republicans. Rubio has publicly said he would support Vance if he enters the race.
Vance’s advisers believe the attacks may ultimately backfire by reinforcing the perception that establishment Republicans and so-called neoconservatives oppose his America First agenda.
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“Loud Washington establishment voices form an online cacophony,” conservative commentator Steve Cortes said, “but they do not remotely represent the consensus views of Republican voters.”
Opposition to Vance inside the GOP predates his selection as Trump’s running mate. Before Trump tapped him for the ticket, foreign policy hawks, major Republican donors and conservative media figures pushed the president to instead choose Rubio or then-North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who now serves as secretary of the interior.
Polling has consistently shown Vance’s favorability among Republican voters remains roughly on par with Trump’s.
Much of the criticism has centered on Vance’s foreign policy views. It first intensified after critics accused him of antisemitism for expressing sympathy toward voices skeptical of aspects of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
The latest wave followed Vance‘s nearly three-hour appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast on July 15.
During the interview, Vance described himself as a “reasonable moderate” in the debate over U.S.-Israel relations. He also referenced a recent Time report about an online pro-Israel influence campaign allegedly run by a former Trump campaign official, saying he had been targeted “in dishonest ways” by paid influencers.
“You know, my response to that is, ‘Well, go to hell,’” Vance told Rogan. “I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first, and that’s the way that I’ve tried to do this job.”
The interview triggered another wave of attacks from prominent pro-Israel commentators and anti-Vance influencers, though Vance allies argue the campaign has failed to sway Republican voters.
A Washington Post analysis of posts on X found criticism of Vance spiked immediately after the Rogan interview.
Among those criticizing the vice president were commentators Ben Shapiro, Marc Thiessen and Batya Ungar-Sargon, along with numerous right-wing influencers and lesser-known X accounts whose anti-Vance posts quickly gained traction. Some accounts pledging to oppose Vance and back Rubio in 2028 appeared, based on their profiles, to be operated by users outside the United States.
“It was ‘obvious to anyone with an IQ above 70’ that the barrage of attacks has been ‘totally inauthentic and probably coordinated to a certain extent,’” the close Vance ally said.
The person added the surge in online criticism has not translated into weaker support among Republican voters.
“The upsurge in online criticism hasn’t been reflected in any data correlating with Vance’s image among GOP voters, which currently tracks President Trump’s image to a T,” the person said. “If it were organic, authentic or effective,” Vance’s favorability rating with Republican voters would have cratered over the past nine months, since the intense online criticism first peaked, the person said. “And that just hasn’t happened.”
A spokesperson for the vice president said JD Vance remains focused on “fighting for the president’s agenda and delivering wins for the American people,” adding that he is not concerned with social media attacks.
Vance supporters have also begun publicly pushing back. Jon Schweppe, a senior adviser at the American Principles Project and former Trump Federal Trade Commission official, posted a chart on X last week showing Vance’s Republican favorability remained steady despite what he called an “anti-Vance op.”
Schweppe said the post quickly drew dozens of critical replies from accounts that did not follow him, something he described as unusual because the post had not been amplified by any major accounts.
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