Vice President Vance Briefs Media Following Press Secretary's Departure

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has left her position, and President Donald Trump has not yet named a replacement. Vice President JD Vance conducted a media briefing on Thursday. During the briefing, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked Vance whether he was speaking as the vice president or the press secretary. Vance referenced a meme regarding Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating, "I'm not Marco. I've not yet accepted any additional jobs." He noted that Trump wished him well but humorously suggested he needed to "screw up a little bit" to avoid being offered the position permanently. Vance acknowledged his disagreements with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson but emphasized their friendship, stating, "I'm not going to play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them." Vance expressed anticipation for his upcoming appearance at a memorial in New York for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, recalling the national unity that followed the 2001 attacks and advocating for a return to that spirit. He made a comment about President Joe Biden, indicating he looked forward to their interactions, which he characterized as likely to involve "intense intellectual conversations." Vance discussed inflation, stating that the Federal Reserve should lower interest rates based on current inflation figures. He noted that the consumer price index rose 3.4% in July over the past year. Vance addressed a reported attack that resulted in four deaths from a U.S. missile strike during a wedding celebration, stating that the U.S. does not target civilians but acknowledged that "sometimes things happen." He mentioned that U.S. Central Command is investigating the incident. Vance also discussed efforts to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions with Iran, stating that the U.S. is finding ways to protect them. He provided conflicting figures about oil transport, claiming 15 million barrels were moved recently, which was lower than a figure previously posted by Trump. Vance clarified that the ongoing situation with Iran does not constitute a war, despite recent military actions. He sidestepped a question about the exit of Dan Driscoll from his role as U.S. Army secretary, praising both Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. When asked about potential presidential candidates, Vance encouraged Republicans to focus on the midterm elections and expressed support for various candidates, including Hegseth and Senator Ted Cruz. The briefing concluded with a call for trusted journalism and civil dialogue.