Vance Abruptly Cancels Israel Trip As IDF Launches New Gaza Offensive
Vice President JD Vance has canceled a scheduled official visit to Israel in response to the escalation of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, according to a senior U.S. official cited by Axios.
According to the report, “The US official said Vance decided because he didn’t want his trip to suggest the Trump administration endorsed the Israeli decision to launch a massive operation at a time when the U.S. is pushing for a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
Vance, however, downplayed any political tensions between the two historic allies, suggesting the cancellation was due to “logistical” issues back home.
“Logistically, it was just a little bit too hard on basic things like, who the hell is going to take care of our kids if we take another couple of days overseas?” Vance told reporters. “I’m sure we’ll visit Israel sometime in the future, but not today.”
Beginning Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced an expanded mobilization of troops for “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” The plan is expected to displace roughly two million Palestinians into a designated “humanitarian zone” as large portions of the Gaza enclave are targeted for destruction and leveling.
The policy appears to conflict with Trump’s key message during last week’s Gulf tour, where he emphasized achieving peace through diplomacy and deal-making, rather than fostering further instability in the region.
Axios added:
–Additional discussions took place on Sunday between U.S. and Israeli officials to prepare for Vance’s visit. Reports soon popped up in the Israeli press that Vance might arrive on Tuesday.
–Several hours later, a White House official denied the reports in a statement to reporters traveling with the VP. “While the Secret Service has engaged in contingency planning for the addition of several potential countries, no additional visits were at any point decided upon, and logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome. He will return to Washington on Monday.”
During Monday morning’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a question from ZeroHedge by stating that President Trump “has made it very clear he wants to see this conflict in the region come to an end.”
“The president is moving as quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to end these conflicts in both Israel and Gaza and also the Russia-Ukraine war,” Leavitt added. “The president made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released.”
Meanwhile, though Trump may seem to be holding an Apprentice-style competition to choose his successor, a new poll shows that voters have a clear favorite.
Vance leads the field, with 46 percent of Republicans supporting him as the party’s 2028 presidential nominee, according to a survey conducted by JL Partners.
Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, is the top choice for just 6 percent of Republican voters, trailing behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 8 percent and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 7 percent.
This comes despite Rubio’s growing prominence, as he juggles expanded responsibilities, including his role as interim National Security Adviser, where he has led several key diplomatic initiatives.
In recent weeks, the president has started publicly promoting Rubio’s potential to appeal to the MAGA base.
“You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic,” Trump said during an interview with NBC after he was asked who would inherit his movement after he leaves office in January 2029. “You look at — I could name 10, 15, 20 people right now just sitting here.”
That said, a source familiar with Trump’s thinking on the matter told the UK’s Telegraph that it’s not a priority for the president at the moment.
“No one is even thinking about it at the moment,” said the source. “The only agenda is getting the job done.”
Nevertheless, Vance remains the clear frontrunner, as he enjoys strong support within Trump’s base.
