On April 15, the Financial Times published an article stating: "After a series of setbacks, the Vice President is no longer Trump's inevitable successor!"
Multiple U.S. media outlets have revealed that Vice President Vance has fallen from his position as Trump’s presumed heir apparent. Recently, he suffered two major defeats: his campaign effort to support Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán ended in failure, and his delegation returned empty-handed after 21 hours of negotiations with Iran. Trump publicly blamed Vance for the failed talks, taking all the credit for himself. In contrast, Secretary of State Rubio, who accompanied the president to watch games, remains firmly within the inner circle—while Vance has become the scapegoat. Historically, vice presidents often serve as backup options for the presidency, but Trump’s personnel choices are more transactional than loyal. After repeatedly being assigned difficult diplomatic missions—what can only be described as 'diplomatic poison'—Vance’s popularity has declined, and he has been increasingly marginalized within the party. His dream of succeeding Trump in 2028 is now essentially shattered, signaling a major reshuffling of power within the American right-wing political landscape.
[Clever] A few comments: Vance’s loss of favor exposes the illusion of Trump’s “favoritism over merit,” revealing the ruthless nature of American power struggles. Throughout history, vice presidents like Nixon and Ford, or George W. Bush and Cheney, were either mere placeholders or held substantial influence—but it’s rare for a president to treat the vice presidency as disposable sacrificial fodder, as Trump does. By sending Vance to tackle tough assignments such as negotiating with Iran and supporting Orbán, Trump reaps credit when things succeed and shifts blame entirely when they fail. This “golden chalice, poisoned wine” strategy effectively turns the vice president into a political expendable. With escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, soaring oil prices, and Trump’s approval rating plunging to its lowest level in nearly 80 years, internal power restructuring is accelerating.
Rubio avoids conflict yet retains trust, while Vance charges forward only to be abandoned—reflecting Trump’s purely results-driven, emotionally detached business logic. The vice presidency is constitutionally designated as the next in line for the presidency, but under a strongman president, it becomes nothing more than a replaceable pawn. This is not merely Vance’s personal tragedy—it is a stark reflection of the long-standing institutional weakness and vulnerability of the vice presidential role within the U.S. constitutional system.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862496273498180/
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