Fact Check: Are Vance's aides preparing for Trump's resignation after midterms?
WASHINGTON, DC: With the much-anticipated midterm elections only a few days away, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Vice President JD Vance’s staffers are preparing for President Donald Trump’s resignation after the midterms over failing health. The claim has sparked concerns and speculation, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: JD Vance's staffers are planning for Donald Trump's resignation
The claim appeared as an X post, which stated, “BREAKING: JD Vance's staffers are reportedly planning for the possibility that Donald Trump uses his failing health to resign after the midterms, and then starts blaming President Vance in the spring for ruining the 'perfect economy' he left Vance, and also losing the Iran War.”
The post has garnered more than two million views as of this writing, sparking concern over Trump’s health and speculation about JD Vance taking over as president, suggesting that many believe the claim, while a few others dismissed it as fake and called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
However, the claim is false, as there are no reports of the Vice President’s staffers planning for Trump’s resignation over his failing health after the upcoming election.
The claim that Trump will start blaming Vance’s presidency for ruining the economy and losing the war with Iran is also baseless and speculative.
There are no official statements or announcements from the White House that support the claim, which, if true, would have been widely covered by credible news media outlets, making headlines. A Google search for the claim also yielded no such results.
Additionally, the claim was posted by a handle called ‘The Halfway Post,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire.’ Hence, the post was intended as a parody made for the sake of engagement.
Democrats' House takeover could slow Donald Trump's agenda
The claim surfaced as Republicans are projected to lose the upcoming election and Democrats are expected to regain control of the House, which could significantly affect Trump's legislative agenda, such as slowing or blocking his picks for judges and top officials.
However, they can’t block spending bills on their own, which must be agreed to by the House.
The Democrats would also gain the power to investigate and influence legislation, but can’t confirm or reject Trump’s nominees, which can be done only by the Senate.
But losing the chambers doesn’t strip the president of his authority, as he would still be able to issue executive orders, enforce the laws, and direct federal agencies as he sees fit, along with plenty of room to maneuver in foreign policy.
