White House staff described how difficult Vice President JD Vance can be when worrying about his image, MS NOW reported Friday.
Vance's obsession with his self-image hasn't gone over smoothly with White House staff, especially amid a rumored contest with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to win Trump's favor in becoming his successor, according to MS NOW.
"Team Vance is extremely self-conscious about what people are saying about him — both here and just randos online — almost to a fault," a White House official told MS NOW.
A White House official also told MS NOW that Vance and his team "grated" on senior staff because of his near-obsessive focus on online chatter about him. Vance apparently has a "near-obsessive" focus on his public image in the context of his recent book tour and "sauerkraut-heavy" diet, the insider said.
However, Trump has been friendlier and more complimentary to Vance in recent weeks, according to MS NOW, which reported that "Trump's informal audition for his 2028 successor appears to be over," with Vance the winner.
"It's become, 'JD's our guy, we gotta help JD,'" a senior administration official told MS NOW, saying that Trump has become warmer towards Vance ever since he launched his book tour.
Trump has even been complimenting Vance's weight loss and remarking that he's been looking good lately, according to MS NOW.
Olivia Wales, a spokesperson for the White House, told MS NOW in an email that Vance has become Trump's "right-hand man" and an "invaluable member" of his national security team.