LAS VEGAS — Vice President JD Vance drew standing ovations from Republican Jewish donors and leaders Monday, delivering a closed-door speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s leadership summit aimed at easing tensions with a bloc of the party he has struggled to win over.
Speaking in a moderated conversation with former Sen. Norm Coleman, chair of the RJC board, Vance directly addressed what he called the “elephant in the room” — declining support for Israel among younger Americans — while also condemning antisemitism, including explicitly rejecting blood libel conspiracy theories as incompatible with Christian teaching.
The appearance, held at the Venetian Resort during the RJC’s two-day gathering, came as a notable gesture from a vice president who has drawn suspicion from parts of the pro-Israel community. That wariness has intensified in recent months over Vance’s more dovish stance on the conflict with Iran and his willingness to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, compounding older concerns tied to his association with commentator Tucker Carlson.
A generational argument for the U.S.-Israel relationship
Rather than leaning on historical or rhetorical justifications, Vance argued Republicans need to reframe their support for Israel around shared strategic interests to reach skeptical younger voters.
“There is a growing suspicion among, I would call it, under-40s of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Vance said, adding that Republicans must “articulate why this is in the best interest of the United States of America” rather than relying on arguments that “made a lot of sense rhetorically 30 or 40 years ago” but carry less weight with a changing electorate.
Defending his ties to controversial commentators
Pressed on his relationships with podcast hosts such as Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Joe Rogan — figures who have drawn criticism within the RJC before, including at last year’s summit — Vance drew a distinction between them and more extreme voices like Nick Fuentes, calling them “two very, very different categories of people.”
He argued against writing off commentators like Rogan over individual remarks, saying engagement is preferable to exclusion: “I think the best approach is to actually go in there and talk to him and make the argument as best as you can.”
Reception in the room
Attendees described the response as overwhelmingly positive. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana said Vance “hit a home run with the crowd” and received multiple standing ovations. RJC CEO Matt Brooks said the audience’s reaction reflected genuine trust rather than a sense of being placated, while Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary and RJC board member, called the appearance “progress day” for Vance with Jewish Republicans, though not a decisive turning point.
Political stakes ahead of 2028
The outreach comes as Vance, considered the early frontrunner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, works to shore up support among pro-Israel donors — some of whom, including hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, have signaled openness to backing Secretary of State Marco Rubio instead. Neither Vance nor Rubio has formally entered the race, though Rubio has said he would not run if Vance does.
Robert Schostak, a former Michigan GOP chair and RJC board member, framed Vance’s cross-country travel — from a Michigan rally with Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC earlier the same day to Las Vegas — as evidence of genuine commitment to the community. “This is not easy,” Schostak said. “He cares about the fight of antisemitism, and the support for Israel. If this was secondary to him, he wouldn’t be here.”
Vance also used the appearance to endorse former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, calling him the most important Senate candidate this election cycle in his race against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
