JD Vance rejects claims of Israeli influence on Trump: 'They are not controlling this president'

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI: Vice President JD Vance, on Wednesday, October 29, at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, refuted allegations that Israel dictates President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, emphasizing an "America First" approach.

Vance claimed that the Trump administration had to "apply leverage to Israel" to secure the recent Gaza agreement, demonstrating presidential autonomy.

JD Vance says ‘America First’ puts US interests above all

In response to a student’s question about Israel’s alleged influence on US aid and the theological divide, JD Vance described the administration’s foreign policy as being guided by the principle of “America First.”

He clarified that it does not mean excluding alliances, adding, “Sometimes Israel has similar interests to the US and we will work with them, and sometimes they don’t.”

Vance also directly rejected the idea of external control over the president, affirming, “So when people say that Israel is somehow manipulating or controlling the president of the United States, they are not controlling this president of the United States, which is one of the reasons why we have been able to have some of the success we have had in the Middle East.” 

JD Vance says Trump used leverage to secure Gaza peace deal

Vance reinforced his assertion of the president’s autonomy by referring to the negotiations surrounding the Gaza agreement.

He stated that “the most recent Gaza peace plan that all of us have been working on very hard for the past few weeks,  the president of the United States could only get that peace deal done by actually being willing to apply leverage to the State of Israel.”

Addressing the student’s question about the need for multi-hundred-billion-dollar foreign aid and the religious divide, Vance acknowledged “significant theological disagreements” between Jews and Christians. Still, he emphasized the potential for cooperation in areas of shared interest, referencing a recent visit to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

“My attitude is, if we can work with our friends in Israel to make sure Christians have safe access to that site, that’s an obvious area of common interest. I’m fine with that,” Vance said. 

JD Vance denies conflict of interest over Trump donor Miriam Adelson

Another series of questions focused on whether President Donald Trump faced a conflict of interest due to the staunch Zionist and pro-Israel lobbying of major Trump donor Miriam Adelson. 

Vance rejected the notion, stating that he does not believe there is any conflict of interest since Adelson has been transparent about her views.

It is worth noting that Turning Point USA was founded by activist Charlie Kirk, whose widow, Erika, was in attendance.