J 'd Vance Rejects Atlantic Report, Cites U.S. Readiness
j 'd vance rejected The Atlantic's report on Will Cain's show and said he is concerned about U.S. readiness. He told Cain it is his job to ask questions after the publication reported earlier this week that he had questioned the Defense Department's account of the war in Iran and missile stockpiles.
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“Most of these reports I ignore. This one I actually read because it ascribed views to me and things that I had allegedly said that I am just 100 percent certain that I have never said,” Vance said. He added, “Don't believe everything you read, especially in papers like The Atlantic.”
He then drew a line between the reporting and his own role in the administration: “Now to answer your question, Will, of course I am concerned about our readiness, because that is my job to be concerned.” Vance also said, “It's of course my job to ask these questions.”
The Atlantic Report
The Atlantic reported earlier this week that, during private meetings, Vance had repeatedly questioned the Defense Department's depiction of the war in Iran. It also reported that he questioned whether the Pentagon had understated what appeared to be the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles.
The publication described Vance as trying to navigate Donald Trump's war in Iran while protecting his own political future. It also said he had a hot-and-cold relationship with the publication and had pitched an article there in July 2016.
Iran Campaign
At the start of the campaign against Iran two months ago, Vance made himself scarce while Marco Rubio appeared often with Donald Trump. When Vance eventually emerged, he gave tepid defenses of the war, and Trump later acknowledged that Vance was “maybe less enthusiastic” about it than other advisers.
Iran requested Vance as an interlocutor for negotiations, and Tehran has so far obtained a cease-fire without relinquishing control of the Strait of Hormuz or giving up its nuclear program. The latest public split centers on whether Vance was challenging the administration's wartime account or doing the job he says he has: pressing for answers on readiness.
