I believe that outlets describing JD Vance’s statement today (explained below) as an attempt to distance himself from the administration is a misdiagnosis of the statement, as if read in full, it’s really an admission that the administration had been ignoring the woes and pleas of its base. A key thing to note was Vance’s acknowledgment of the America First movement, a movement that some analysts call the successor/alternative to MAGA. Until now, the administration has largely ignored the movement and Vance’s acknowledgment of the movement, which has been critical of unfulfilled Trump administration campaign promises, the war with Iran, and deepened ties with Israel, often times at the expense of the U.S. strategic outlook, is what should be noticed in his statement more than anything else. The vice president’s statement wasn’t an attempt to distance himself from the administration, it was the administration’s acknowledgment of a large portion of their base, America First, that they have disenfranchised.