Exclusive — President Trump: Vice President JD Vance ‘Doing a Great Job,’ ‘I Picked Him Because He’s Smart’

President Donald Trump told Breitbart News in the Oval Office last week he is proud of the job Vice President JD Vance is doing in the role, and the reason he picked Vance for the job is Vance’s intelligence.

“I did,” Trump said when asked if he has been watching Vance on his book tour lately where the Vice President has appeared on shows like The View and Bill Maher’s show.

“I think he’s doing a great job,” Trump said of Vance. “He’s a smart guy. I picked him because he’s smart, very simple. I didn’t pick him for his views so much. I picked him because he’s smart. He was always a smart, very smart person—great student, fantastic student. Went to Yale without the benefit of a family that gets him in. I think that he’s doing a very good job.”

Vance has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as the face of both the negotiations with Iran to end the war there, and as the head of Trump’s anti-fraud task force. He also rolled out a new book on faith, called Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith—which came out right as the memorandum of understanding with Iran ending hostilities was signed.

Vance also this weekend captured the nation’s attention with an address to the parade of tall ships in New York City, speaking with the Statue of Liberty in the background and encouraging Americans to reject the view many leftists promote of hating the United States.

Many expect Vance to likely run for president in 2028, and he currently leads GOP presidential primary polling going into the next election. Some more establishment-minded folks want the GOP to instead pick Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the 2028 nomination, but Rubio has already made clear that if Vance runs he will not run and that he will back Vance on day one of a Vance campaign.

More from Trump’s interview with Breitbart News is forthcoming.