Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) offered a mixed assessment of Vice President Vance on Thursday, acknowledging his presidential potential while cautioning that certain traits could make him a risky standard-bearer for the GOP.
Speaking directly to Vance during a livestream on his YouTube channel, Giuliani said, “I see presidential potential with you. I also see certain dangers in your personality, which make you a dangerous possibility as president.”
Giuliani's remarks came in response to Vance's post-election analysis, in which the vice president blamed the Iran war for the GOP's loss of both the House and Senate majorities in the midterms. Vance wrote on Wednesday, “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay.”
Giuliani pushed back on that framing, arguing that the war was only a secondary issue. “To be president, you have to have the flexibility of mind, not to have slogans dominate your thinking,” he said. “That’s the feeling I got from you yesterday when you said that the election was determined by the war.” He added, “It wasn’t mainly, mostly determined by the war. The war was a sub part.”
Instead, Giuliani pointed to the economy as the decisive factor in the elections. Public polling supports that view: a Gallup survey conducted before the midterms found that 50% of voters considered the economy an “extremely” important issue, while 47% said the same about the Iran war.
The vice president's insistence on the war as the primary cause has drawn criticism from some on the right, including Democratic lawmakers. Slotkin hits Vance for playing blame game on Iran war losses, arguing that his refusal to acknowledge other factors is a sign of political weakness. House Minority Leader Jeffries has also vowed that Democrats will hold Vance accountable for his Iran war stance.
Vance remains the early front-runner for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination, but the midterm defeats have wounded his standing. As the GOP 2028 race reshapes, rivals like Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis are gaining traction. Many observers view the election results as a repudiation of the Trump administration, which could complicate Vance's path forward.
Last month, Vance said he would seek President Trump's endorsement if he runs in 2028. Trump, however, has not committed, saying, “I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it,” while adding that Vance is “a very talented person and a very good person.”
Giuliani's warning underscores a growing debate within the GOP about whether Vance's rigid messaging and combative style can win national elections. As the party digests its losses, the question of whether Vance can broaden his appeal beyond the base will be central to his political future.
