President Donald Trump may be publicly standing beside Vice President JD Vance, but behind closed doors, the 79-year-old president has reportedly been far less flattering.
A new report claims Trump has privately mocked Vance’s most embarrassing political and public moments while questioning whether his own vice president has what it takes to become the face of the MAGA movement in 2028.
According to more than a dozen insiders cited by The New York Times, Trump has repeatedly vented to allies about Vance, 41, raising concerns that the former Ohio senator could turn into a “disaster” if Republicans rally behind him as the next standard-bearer of the party.
The alleged private criticism paints a very different picture from the polished public image the White House has tried to project. While Vance has served as one of Trump’s most visible defenders, the president has reportedly been measuring him against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 55, as the behind-the-scenes battle for Trump’s political inheritance begins.
One of Trump’s reported complaints is that Vance has never won a truly difficult political race without his help. Trump has also allegedly griped about the number of vacations Vance has taken and expressed doubts about sending him into sensitive negotiations in Pakistan connected to ending the war in Iran.
But one moment in particular reportedly keeps coming up inside Trump’s circle: Vance’s awkward trophy mishap at the White House.
Last spring, Vance fumbled the gold College Football Playoff National Championship trophy from Ohio State, his alma mater, letting it tumble in an embarrassing scene that quickly made the rounds. According to the report, Trump has repeatedly brought up the incident while privately weighing whether Vance has the instincts and stage presence needed for a national campaign.
A year later, Vance appeared to suffer another subtle snub when he was left sitting in the audience during a White House reception honoring the NCAA Division I football champion Indiana Hoosiers.
The alleged tension has not stopped there.
Vance’s habit of jumping into social media fights has reportedly irritated some inside the White House. Chief of staff Susie Wiles allegedly urged him to take a break from the online sparring, with aides reportedly viewing his replies to critics as a bad look for someone trying to position himself as a future president.
Trump, meanwhile, has done little to quiet speculation that he is setting up a shadow primary between Vance and Rubio.
At a Rose Garden Club dinner in May, Trump reportedly asked attendees who they would prefer as commander-in-chief. Vance received louder applause than Rubio, prompting Trump to quip, “Alright, sounds like a good ticket.”
But during an interview with Fortune this month, Trump sounded far less committed. Asked who would best carry on his “dealmaking legacy,” with Vance reportedly standing in the back of the Oval Office, Trump replied, “Whoever gets this is going to be very important, and if you get the wrong person: disaster.”
That one word, “disaster,” is now hanging over Vance’s future.
The White House has denied the claims in the Times report. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, defended the vice president in a statement, saying Vance has done “a remarkable job” helping carry out Trump’s America First agenda.
Cheung also dismissed the report as another media narrative built on anonymous sources, saying the claims came from people who “do not have any knowledge of the truth.”
Still, the report comes at a politically delicate moment for Vance.
His shifting position on the war in Iran has reportedly angered some anti-interventionist Republicans, a key part of the MAGA coalition he would likely need if he runs in 2028. The conflict has also pushed oil prices higher, adding another economic headache for Americans already dealing with affordability pressures.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of Trump’s fiercest allies and a former supporter of Vance as vice president, told The Times that Vance’s Iran stance could seriously damage his credibility with the movement’s anti-war wing.
“He is no longer in a place where he can hang on to his former reputation,” Greene said. “There’s nothing that can protect him anymore.”
For Democrats, the reported infighting offers a revealing glimpse inside Trump’s second-term White House: a president obsessed with loyalty, image, and succession, and a vice president trying to survive the same brutal political machine that helped elevate him.
Vance may still be the most obvious MAGA heir on paper. But if the leaks are accurate, Trump himself may be the biggest obstacle standing in his way.
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