About a week after launching the war with Iran, Donald Trump was asked whether there was any daylight between him and JD Vance on the merits of the conflict. The president conceded that his vice president had been “philosophically a little different” from him on the overall mission. Referring to Vance, Trump added, “I think he was maybe less enthusiastic.”....

Then it was time for the punchline.

“So if it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance,” Trump told attendees. “If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.”

As the G7 summit in France came to an end, the Republican told the same joke, nearly word for word. MS NOW reported as part of the network’s liveblog coverage:

Trump used his final moments on the world stage to joke about throwing Vance under the bus if the formal signing of the MOU does not go well.

“Why not stick around for the signing ceremony with this Iran peace deal?” a reporter asked Trump, who is already in France attending the G7 summit.

“It’s very important, but it might not be the kind of a document that I should be signing,” Trump answered. “This way, if it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD. You better be careful, JD,” he added.

The tone may have been lighthearted, but the underlying message packed a punch.

Trump: This is a memorandum of understanding. It's very important, but it might not be the kind of a document that I should be signing. If it works out, I'm going to take the credit. If it doesn't work out, I'm blaming JD

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2026-06-17T17:30:57.600Z

The broader context is everything. For all of Vance’s alleged skepticism, he’s the one Trump tasked with overseeing negotiations with Iran; he’s the one who’s currently on a media tour where he’s being forced to defend a framework that looks an awful lot like an embarrassing surrender; and he’s the one who appears to have become a political target for prominent members of his own party.

Indeed, The Bulwark’s Joe Perticone had a worthwhile piece this week noting that, as a variety of congressional Republicans hold him (and not Trump) directly responsible for the emerging “deal,” there’s ample evidence to suggest Vance “is being set up as the Iran deal fall guy.”