Vice President JD Vance did not pull punches in his response to the media’s portrayal of Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Peace Missions, following a report from Politico. Vance took to social media on Friday to defend Witkoff against what he described as a misleading narrative crafted by Politico’s Felicia Schwartz.
The headline of the report, “‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy,” suggested failure and incompetence. Schwartz’s article painted a picture of Witkoff struggling to navigate the complexities of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Vance took exception to this portrayal, asserting that it was not just an error but a deliberate act of journalistic malpractice. He stated, “This story from Politico is journalistic malpractice. But it’s more than that: it’s a foreign influence operation meant to hurt the administration and one of our most effective members.”
In her report, Schwartz claimed that Witkoff’s “go-it-alone style” was problematic, isolating him from necessary consultations with experts and allies. Several officials reportedly criticized Witkoff for viewing the conflict through a “real estate lens,” as if it were merely a land dispute. Vance countered these claims with vigor. He highlighted the absence of on-the-record support that contradicts Schwartz’s narrative, drawing attention to input from himself, the Secretary of State, and even Jared Kushner, which he claimed was omitted from the article to make room for anonymous critiques.
“Notice how all of the people attacking Steve are on background? That means it’s two or three deep staters who are angry that Witkoff has succeeded where they’ve failed,” Vance pointed out. His assessment suggested that these anonymous sources were motivated by a desire to undermine the Trump administration rather than provide an honest appraisal of Witkoff’s efforts.
Vance’s remarks went further, questioning Schwartz’s motives and intelligence. He stated, “There are two possible explanations: Felicia is just not very smart and allowed herself to be used by deep state con men. Or she’s in on it and used her position to willingly participate in a literal foreign influence operation. Either way, it’s disgraceful.” This critique underscored Vance’s belief in the existence of a systemic effort within certain media circles to derail the progress of the administration.
He took a moment to clarify Witkoff’s contributions, asserting that Witkoff has made significant progress in narrowing down the complex issues surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. According to Vance, Witkoff has worked tirelessly to identify key areas such as security guarantees and territorial concessions, even in the face of hostile media coverage. “The fruits of his negotiations are that we have narrowed the list of open issues in the Russia-Ukraine war to a set of clearly defined issues,” he stated.
As Vance concluded his defense of Witkoff, he remained resolute about the challenges ahead. “Maybe we make peace, and maybe we don’t. If we do, it will be because Steve Witkoff and the President of the United States worked their tails off in the face of outright lies from the mainstream press.”
The battle for narrative control continues, with Vance serving as a vocal defender of Witkoff amidst a storm of criticism. His insistence on accountability highlights a deeper frustration with a media landscape that operates, in his view, under pretense and bias rather than truth.
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