Vance on Trump talking about GOP senator’s ‘a‑‑’: ‘I’m jealous’
There's something genuinely funny about a vice president admitting he's jealous of a senator's backside getting more presidential attention than his own. Vance handled it well, laughing it off and calling Trump a comedian, which is probably the only sane response when the boss keeps complimenting a colleague's rear end on national television.
The exchange tells you a little about how this administration works. Trump's compliments are a form of currency, a way of signaling who's in favor. Husted, the Ohio senator and former lieutenant governor, has been getting a lot of that attention lately, and Vance's joke acknowledges the pecking order without sounding bitter. There's a real political calculation under the humor.
I'd want to know whether this is just Trump being Trump or whether there's something more deliberate behind the repeated praise. Either way, it's a reminder that in this White House, even the jokes carry a hint of hierarchy. Vance seems comfortable with it, which is probably the smart play.