My wife of over 20 years is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed citizen of Holland. (And, according to 23andMe, she also has a high percentage of Neanderthal DNA. That’s probably why she really likes bananas.) But even though she’s as white as skim milk, mayonnaise, and polka music, her father aspired to be the next Gauguin and relocated her family to Tahiti when she was still a baby. She was raised as an ethnic minority.
I’m just a boring American white guy. (Bear with me: Our ethnic backgrounds are relevant for this intro.)
My very first job after graduating from law school was in the Hawaiian attorney general’s office. (My then-fiancé was wrapping up her master’s from the University of Hawaii.) I was so excited — and determined to make a great impression! On my first day at work, I looked everyone in the eye, learned everyone’s name, and was on my best behavior.
By the end of the day, all the other lawyers and paralegals greeted me by name!
“Can you believe that, honey?” I beamed. “I’ve only been here a day, and everyone already knows who I am!”
She looked at me like I was an idiot: “Scott… of course they know who you are: There’s only one other white guy in your entire office!”
“…Oh.”
That’s how perspectives work: Because she had the perspective of being a lifelong minority, she recognized the obvious — that there’s almost certainly a correlation between my “memorability” and my ethnicity. (Meanwhile, I assumed it was because I’m so dang awesome.)
Audiences aren’t blank slates. We enter the political arena with biases, assumptions, blind spots, and cultural sensitivities. A wise communicator meets his audiences where they are and incorporates their perspective(s) into his message.
You have to — because if you don’t, your audience’s biases will hijack your message.
And that’s the issue raging through the MAGAverse right now: On one side, pro-Israel Republicans — a vast majority of the MAGA base — are up in arms over Vice President JD Vance’s rhetorical smackdown of Israel’s opposition to the MOU. The VP’s words were biting, harsh, and uncomfortable to hear. If you’re a pro-Israel Republican, it reminded you of something Tucker Carlson might say.
On the other side, plenty of Republicans nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Without question, Groypers, bigots, and Jew-haters exist — and plenty of podcasters make a living by catering to that demo. But there are also millions of fair-minded Republicans who view America’s relationship with Israel as an investment that’s in the red: It’s nothing personal, but the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.
It’s less theological and more transactional. They don’t see Israel as spiritually special; in their eyes, Israel is more like the neighborhood hoodlum who’s always getting us in trouble via association.
The problem is that the two sides interpret the same PR message dramatically differently.
Our minds are pattern-recognition machines: Whenever we get new info, we incorporate it into an established pattern. Eventually, as more data comes in, we might move it into a new pattern — or develop a different paradigm altogether — but that’s not our initial impulse.
Instead, we assume our patterns are correct.
We don’t have a ton of data on Vance. He’s a 41-year-old who’s something of a mystery. Vance was a freshman senator who quickly rose to vice president; he hasn’t been around long enough to craft a lengthy legislative track record — or foster deep emotional connections.
We see he’s smart as a whip. We admire his life journey. He’s a veteran and a patriot. Perhaps most meaningfully: Donald Trump — a man the MAGAverse trusts, respects, and admires — thought highly enough of him to elevate him to the vice presidency. If that’s not a glowing testimonial, I don’t know what is.
But we don’t really know what’s in his heart.
If you’re a pro-Israel Republican, you’ve recognized a pattern of MAGA-adjacent podcasters adopting similar rhetoric — and then channeling it into an escalating orgy of antisemitism. If you were a loyal Fox News viewer, the devolution of some of your favorite ex-talents was shocking and disappointing. You used to be proud that the Republican Party — unlike the Democratic Party — refused to traffic in antisemitism. It used to be one of the great moral distinctions between the two parties.
Not anymore. (Alas.)
Now, there are loudmouthed antisemites on both sides.
Unlike his boss, Vance has avoided taking sides in the GOP turf wars. It’s something we analyzed in yesterday’s column:
The upside of his strategy? If it works, Vance inherits an intact MAGA movement in 2028, instead of a faded facsimile. By staying neutral, he’s still capable of reuniting all wings of the right — the hawks, traditionalists, religious right, isolationists, and Groypers. When he runs for president, he needs to appeal to both [Ben] Shapiro and Carlson, Mark Levin and [Megyn] Kelly, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk — just like Donald Trump did in 2024. Choosing sides could shrink his base.
But the downside to his strategy is that it exposes Vance to allegations that he’s secretly sympathetic to the Jew-haters, isolationists, and Israel’s worst enemies.
There are pro-Israel Republicans who’ve placed Vance’s pattern of behavior within the Groyer/antisemite paradigm: He must be one of them. (Other supporting datapoints include Carlson’s son working in Vance’s office.) Many attacked Vance personally and viciously because they’re convinced their cause is noble.
On the other side, there are fair-minded Republican isolationists who view the anti-Vance pushback as a grotesque overreach — and eerily similar to leftists who cry “Racism!” at every turn. So what if he blasted Israel? Telling another country to be grateful for American support and to stop interfering in the president’s foreign policy decisions is precisely his job.
I mean, are we gonna be serious about “America First” or not?
(I’m ignoring the perspective of the Groypers/bigots because A. Screw ‘em. And B. It’s painfully obvious what they think.)
Either way, it’s created an enormous PR mess for Vance — and thus, for the GOP: The pro-Israel side is riled because Vance’s actions and rhetoric fit the antisemitic pattern. Therefore, they’re pushing back hard and aggressively.
This isn’t something they’re going to forget.
The pro-isolationist side is furious because this pushback fits the pattern of exaggerated left-wing cries of racism — and besides, it sure sounds like the pro-Israel faction is placing Israel’s interests ahead of America’s, which is NOT “America First” at all.
The danger is that the two feedback loops will intersect and snowball: The more the pro-Israel side protests, the more the pro-isolationist side will escalate its rhetoric in response. The more they escalate their rhetoric in response, the more the pro-Israel side will protest. (With more ear-bleach to come next week in Podcastistan.)
Fortunately for the GOP, there’s a solution:
- If Vance wants to inherit a unified Republican Party and an intact MAGA movement, he should calibrate his rhetoric accordingly. MAGA members are more likely to support Israel than oppose it — and do so at higher numbers than non-MAGA Republicans. Politics is a numbers game; follow the numbers.
- Don’t fuel the feedback loop with distorted criticisms of either side. (I’ve noticed that Vance is awfully fond of strawman arguments. That would be a big mistake here.) Keep it simple and stick to the facts. You’re not trying to “destroy” the other side; your goal is to placate, soothe, and reassure.
- Vance should explain how our relationship with Israel is consistent with America First values: Articulate the pragmatic, transactional benefits. (The more, the better.)
- The pro-Israel side isn’t bellyaching because it’s fun — they’re doing so because they’re scared for Israel’s future. Explain how the Iran War and/or MOU have left Israel safer, more secure, and more prosperous than ever before.
- The vice president cared so much about his Catholic faith and spiritual journey that he just wrote a book about it. If this shaped his view of Israel in a positive way, he’d be wise to share it: A personal, emotional story would go a long way in repairing injured relations.
Pro-Israel Republicans SHOULD trust Vance, because his boss has been the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history. That alone earns him the benefit of the doubt: If political decisions reflect personal values, Trump’s decision to select Vance as his running mate speaks volumes.
Surely Trump vetted his character; surely Vance passed the test.
But then again, so did Mike Pence.
Vance stands before the PR crossroads. The choice is entirely his.
One road is to continue his current path. The other is to recalibrate his message — and give both sides in both camps a reason to stay.
For his sake and ours, I hope he chooses the right path.
One Last Thing: 2026 is a critical year for America First. It began with Mayor Mamdani declaring war on “rugged individualism” and will reach a crescendo with the midterm elections. Nothing less than the fate of the America First movement teeters in the balance.
Never before have the political battle lines been so clearly defined. Win or lose, 2026 will transform our country.
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