Tipsheet

JD Vance Filled in for Karoline Leavitt Again. Here's What He Had to Say.

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  June 18, 2026 1:30 PM

Vice President JD Vance took the podium at the White House briefing on Thursday, filling in for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for a second time while she remains on maternity leave. The briefing was dominated by discussion of the Iran deal, the text of which was finally released on Thursday, despite having been signed earlier in the week. 

Vance sought to defend the agreement as criticism from across the political spectrum continues to mount. Opponents of the deal have argued that it represents a significant concession to Iran, while the administration maintains that it is a necessary step toward securing a broader and more lasting peace agreement. 

Vance's first order of business was to tout the deal as a historic success, arguing that its effects are already being felt across global markets. He pointed to the movement of roughly 12.5 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the agreement was signed and noted that oil and gas prices have already begun to fall.

Vance went on to address several of the deal's most significant criticisms, including how the United States plans to ensure Iran complies with its obligations, how restrictions on Iran's nuclear ambitions will be enforced, why the administration believes lifting sanctions is warranted, and the rationale behind the deal's controversial $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran.

The vice president went on to argue that the United States comes out ahead regardless of how Iran chooses to act. As President Trump said yesterday, if Iran refuses to comply with the agreement, the administration has made clear it has no hesitation about resuming military operations.

Vance also briefly addressed Israel, as tensions have recently surfaced between the Trump administration and Israeli officials. The friction arose after it briefly appeared that the administration was limiting Israel's ability to respond militarily to threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, prompting concerns among some supporters of Israel that the deal could constrain the country's right to defend itself.