Vice President JD Vance is pushing back hard against Politico after the outlet published a report criticizing Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy for peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The article, authored by Felicia Schwartz, claimed Witkoff struggled to manage his role due to inexperience and a “go-it-alone” approach. It cited multiple anonymous officials who accused him of ignoring experts, being unprepared, and framing the conflict as if it were a real estate dispute.
Vance: “Journalistic Malpractice”
Vance took to X shortly after the report’s release, accusing Politico of running a politically motivated hit piece.
“This story from Politico is journalistic malpractice,” Vance wrote. “But it’s more than that: it’s a foreign influence operation meant to hurt the administration and one of our most effective members.”
He criticized the reliance on anonymous sources, saying the piece ignored public statements by senior officials — including himself, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adviser Jared Kushner, and UK diplomat Jonathan Powell — who have defended Witkoff.
Vance singled out Schwartz, suggesting she was either being manipulated by hostile sources or willingly complicit.
“They have an