While Trump Stumbles, the GOP Quietly Lifts Vance.

Vance is elevated at the same time that the Epstein files bring Trump down.

Jul 16, 2025

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The Plan Is Working: Trump Is Blinking, and Vance Is Rising

Yesterday, I shared my suspicions that Trump’s Epstein list woes were just too perfect not to be planned. (The Epstein File Flop is Part of the Plan and Right On Schedule). We outlined how Pam Bondi wasn’t just swept into her new DOJ role for old-time loyalty or Florida connections. She was inserted like a pawn on the board — part of a larger strategy. Her assignment: bury the Epstein tapes, or appear to release them without implicating the wrong people (wink).

Well she’s looking like a deer caught in the headlights, following the usual plan of protecting the boss at all costs, the GOP is rapidly moving against her. From Marjorie Taylor Greene, Dan Bongino, and Steve Bannon to surprise voices like Rep. Ralph Norman (R‑SC), Rep. Thomas Massie (R‑KY), and even Speaker Mike Johnson—the GOP is coming out of the woodwork to demand Bondi come forward with names.

GOP congressmen — especially those clinging to suburban seats — are publicly questioning Bondi’s credibility, and by extension, Trump’s entire strategy. They’ve seen the polling. They know this is toxic.

This evening, Trump told a report that Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible”. Trump is not one to acquiesce, ever. That blink—let her release what she thinks is right, reads like a last-ditch attempt to control the situation and save face.

So what happens when the party senses the king is compromised?

They polish the crown for the prince-in-waiting.

And wouldn’t you know, while the Trump/Epstein/Bondi drama is capturing the country’s attention, the GOP is busy propping up the heir apparent.

(Before we continue, if this article resonates with you, it will mean the world to me if you could share it with your friends too. This is how we build a resistance together.)

Enter JD Vance: The Heir with a Harvard Beard and a Billionaire Backer

The spotlight isn’t just swinging away from Trump — it’s swinging toward JD Vance. Twice in the last two weeks, he’s been handed the mic like a man being quietly auditioned for the throne.

First, on July 1, he delivered the keynote at the Ohio GOP’s annual dinner. His home turf, a high-dollar room packed with donors, party chairs, and national influencers. He didn’t mention Trump’s legal woes. He didn’t beg for unity. He painted a picture of a post-crisis America — one that would build again, with him leading the charge.
Watch the C-SPAN clip here

Then, on July 5, he was honored by the Claremont Institute with their annual Statesmanship Award — a prize usually reserved for conservative lions like Clarence Thomas or Thatcher. This wasn’t about Ohio. This was about intellectual legitimacy, the stamp of approval from the conservative elite.
Claremont press release

Let me be clear: you don’t get a prize like that unless the big dogs want you in the game. In fact, neither of these events were run-of-the-mill day-in-the-life-of-a-VP calendar items. These were out of the norm. Prestigious. Spotlight events.

I want to be clear here. I’m not making predictions. I’m simply making observations based on facts. And I’ll be honest, I’ve often said I’d vote for a toadstool for president over Trump. So maybe, just maybe, Vance would be an improvement. Or maybe he’ll be a more polished version of cruelty. It’s hard to say until we get there.

But the Claremont speech did give us a peek into his belief system. It was fascinating, in a disturbing utopian kind of way. He laid out what it means to be a “citizen” in 2025.. You can watch the entire speech here, but I’m going to break down some of the highlights. His words are italicized.

1. Citizenship should be tribal, not ideological

“Identifying America just with agreeing with the principles of the Declaration of Independence — that’s a definition that is way overinclusive and underinclusive at the same time.”
“I think the people whose ancestors fought in the Civil War have a hell of a lot more claim over America than the people who say they don't belong.”
Translation: If you believe in the constitution, cool — but that doesn’t make you American. Vance argues that ancestry, culture, and customs matter more than principles.

2. Immigration is the enemy of cohesion

“It's hard to become neighbors with your fellow citizens when your own government keeps on importing new neighbors every single year at a record number.”
Translation: The only acceptable communities are white with American traditions. Anyone else need not apply.

3. Citizenship should come with tariffs, borders, and benefits for the in-group

“That means having a government that vigorously defends the basic qualities of sovereignty: that secures the border from foreign invasion, that protects its citizens and their enterprises against unfair foreign tax schemes, that erects tariff walls and similar barriers to protect its people's industry...”
“President Trump believes that Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security ought to go to the American people, not to illegal aliens who don't have the right to be here.”
Translation: Entitlement programs are tied to birthright, all others be damned. America first at its most extreme.

4. We need to build again

“You can't get to the moon on financial derivatives. You get to the moon on engineering and on building things.”
“Now, in the 21st century is a time to build. We need to make great things here for the betterment of our fellow Americans, but also for our posterity.”
Translation: We need real physical stuff: dams, bridges, rockets. He mocks Wall Street and “apps” as hollow legacies of our elite class. [But don’t be fooled. The man was bankrolled into office by Peter Thiel, still has close ties to Elon Musk’s inner circle, and sits atop a network of Silicon Valley donors looking to move beyond Trump.]
When he says “we don’t need low-wage serfs to build our future,” he’s not fighting for workers. He’s just branding a more controlled, nationalist version of tech capitalism — where the workers wear red hats, and the data still flows to billionaires.

5. Gratitude is a test of loyalty

“We should demand that our people — whether first- or tenth-generation Americans — have gratitude for this country.”
“We should be skeptical of anyone who lacks it — especially if they purport to lead this great country.”
Translation: Pure autocracy. The only people who can stay are loyal to the throne.

In summary, this potential replacement for Trump is far more polished. He wears tailored suits, speaks in complete sentences, and delivers his ideology with conviction — unlike Trump, who governs more by impulse than principle. But that polish is exactly what could make him more dangerous. A competent authoritarian is far harder to stop than a flailing one. Whether Vance becomes the GOP’s new standard-bearer remains to be seen. Either way, our best hope is to stay focused on demanding a return to democracy, accountability, and integrity in our elections.

Stay peaceful but loud.

—Rosie

🔥 What do you think? Is a switch in play? Drop your thoughts in the comments. 👇

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