From bashing Zelensky to lobbying senators, Vance settles in as Trump’s No. 2

Over the past 10 days, Vice President JD Vance put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on notice, rattled the confidence of century-old allies in Western Europe during his first foreign trip, decamped to Capitol Hill to help in delicate budget talks and delivered a spirited defense of the Trump administration’s first month to a gathering of conservatives outside the nation’s capital.

Over the past 10 days, Vice President JD Vance put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on notice, rattled the confidence of century-old allies in Western Europe during his first foreign trip, decamped to Capitol Hill to help in delicate budget talks and delivered a spirited defense of the Trump administration’s first month to a gathering of conservatives outside the nation’s capital. “I’m in a good place right now,” Vance told the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday as he acknowledged jet lag from his whirlwind stretch. “I got some sleep last night.” The vice president’s frenetic activity in recent days is a departure from the transition, when he was rarely seen in public, instead operating quietly behind the scenes. And even after Vance was sworn in, his relative lack of visibility came as Elon Musk’s appearances with President Donald Trump fueled chatter that the tech billionaire had supplanted the vice president in the White House pecking order. But Vance lately has stepped forward in a more prominent way, asserting his role within the administration. As the second-in-command, he’s quickly assembled a portfolio of responsibilities that align with the traditional role – international representative, congressional liaison and leading surrogate – all while navigating a White House defined by Trump’s unpredictable and unconventional approach. “JD is President Trump’s Swiss Army knife,” a close Vance adviser told CNN. “Whatever Trump needs at the time, that’s the role JD fills.” In interviews, he’s an aggressive advocate and chief explainer for Trump, a role he sharpened during the campaign. Vance is also charting his own path. On social media, he has maintained an active and provocative presence, a style his team suggests is befitting of the first millennial to hold the office.