Headline Roundup • September 1st, 2026
JD Vance Speaks to Jewish Republicans Amid Tensions Over Antisemitism and Israel
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday night covering a wide range of topics ahead of the midterm elections. Outlets on the left framed Vance's attendance as an attempt to win back skeptical Jewish voters, while outlets on the right more firmly touted his success in winning over the community.
The Rise of Antisemitism: Vance addressed the reported rise in antisemitism "while deflecting criticism" for his association with figures like Tucker Carlson (Right bias), Joe Rogan (Center), and Nick Fuentes (Right), all of whom have been described as antisemitic by some members of the Jewish community, according to Washington Examiner (Lean Right). Vance said, "I do not think that Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes are the same, just substantively. But as a political matter, I think that we have got to be willing to go everywhere and bring our message anywhere, to any person." He did not ultimately denounce his relationship with Carlson. Vance also addressed the rise in skepticism about US ties to Israel, particularly among Americans under 40.
Remarks on Abdul El-Sayed: Wall Street Journal (Center) wrote that Vance "disparaged" Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. One member of the RJC told The Journal that Vance said, "This is a guy who looks at you and says, 'You're a good person if you belong to this ethnicity, and you're a bad person if you belong to that ethnicity.'" New York Times (Lean Left) included Vance's comment that El-Sayed is "very, very evil," which he remarked at a rally in Michigan for El-Sayed's Republican opponent. Wall Street Journal included El-Sayed's response, "Evil is ripping healthcare away from working people in exchange for tax breaks for billionaires. Evil is making people pay more for groceries and gas while pushing for trade wars and actual war. Evil is dividing people for your own gain. Evil is selling out your morals for a little bit of power."
Did Vance Smooth Over the Relationship? New York Times reported that Vance's attendance at the RJC was "widely understood, including by members of the coalition's board, as an attempt to smooth things over with an influential community that remains one of the holdouts in the Republican donor class and commentariat." The Times also claimed that "tension was palpable in the room." The Washington Examiner, however, wrote that Vance "wins over" the Republican Jews that were hesitant to support him. One RJC board member, a former White House press secretary, told The Examiner, "I think today was a progress day for JD Vance with the Jewish community."
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Featured Coverage of this Story
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
When Vice President JD Vance's team was mulling whether to accept an invitation to speak to the Republican Jewish Coalition, intermediaries reached out to a few prominent Jewish donors for a gut check: What type of reception would he get, exactly?
Many Jewish conservatives had major reservations about Mr. Vance, which had only escalated in recent months as Mr. Vance became the public face of the administration's diplomatic efforts with Iran, Israel's sworn enemy. So his appearance at the group's biannual conference in Las Vegas, where he would face one...
Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech behind closed doors at the annual Republican Jewish Coalition leadership summit on Monday in an attempt to win over pro-Israel Republicans who are hesitant to support him for a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
Vance addressed rising antisemitism to a room full of Republican Jews while deflecting criticism from his affiliation with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been described as antisemitic for inviting Holocaust deniers on his show. This was most apparent in Carlson's wide-ranging interview with Nick Fuentes last year.
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Vice President JD Vance delivered closed-door remarks to Jewish Republicans in Las Vegas on Monday night, covering a range of topics, including the Michigan Senate race, the influence of podcasters and the U.S. relationship with Israel.
In a room of roughly 1,000 attendees, Vance disparaged Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He reaffirmed the U.S. relationship with Israel, but also warned of "growing suspicion" of Israel among Americans under the age of 40. He stopped short of disavowing former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has angered prominent Jewish Republicans by...
