INTO THE LIARS’ LIONS’ DEN: Why Did JD Vance Grant His First Vice Presidential Interview to Margaret Brennan and CBS News?

My suspicion is that Vance wants to do these types of interviews.  He wants to demonstrate that the Trump administration will not shy away from tough questions, knowing that he is particularly well equipped to ‘win’ the exchanges.  He is interested in delivering the president’s point of view beyond friendlier precincts, of course, but I don’t necessarily think he sees granting these sit-downs as a ‘reward’ for the interviewer or the outlet.  I think he’s more likely to see these events as rewards for himself and opportunities to advance the administration’s messaging.  Given the role CBS played at his lone debate last fall, plus their overall reputation these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if Vance intentionally selected Brennan and Face the Nation as a message unto itself, confident that Brennan would represent a useful foil.  If that was the calculation, it was the right one.  Vance isn’t alone in proving that if Republicans are quick on their feet and equipped with facts, they can dominate interviews meant to be adversarial.  Here’s another recent example from a man who’d be unanimously confirmed as Secretary of State just days later:

THIS IS A MASTERCLASS.

WELKER: You support deporting millions of people?

RUBIO: Yes. This is mass migration to the tune of 20, 30 unvetted people. Nobody allows this. 10 million in just the last 3 years.

WELKER: Ok, but in the past, you said you disagreed with mass… pic.twitter.com/j9bHHgX9tp

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2025

“‘No, no, no — we can’t move on.’  Polite but firm aggression, a refusal to allow unfair or biased framing go unchallenged, an insistence on meeting each point. This is the way.”