The internet is scrutinizing JD Vance’s comment about not joining Donald Trump’s envoy to China. The president is on a visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping to discuss important matters related to the Iran crisis and the series of tariffs Trump implemented in 2025, which led China to impose its own tariffs on America. Trump is accompanied by a bunch of U.S. officials, business leaders, and family members.
Officials from companies like Boeing, Qualcomm, and Citigroup are part of Trump’s envoy. Other individuals who joined the president are Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Larry Fink, Jensen Huan, and Eric Trump. JD Vance, who has long been rumored to be the potential nominee for the 2028 presidential election, was, however, absent from this party, and the vice president made it clear why.
This is why VPs 99% never win presidential elections. They are useless and just there for when something happens. Marco Rubio will be the next president
— Travis (@Reb3L33) May 13, 2026
“The president just landed in China a few hours ago,” JD Vance said, as reported by USA Today. “You may know that because of secret service protocols, I don’t travel outside of the country with the President of the United States. So on days like today, I sometimes feel like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. I walk into the White House, and it’s very quiet, and no one’s there, and it takes me a second to realize exactly what’s going on!”
That said, no Secret Service rule bans the vice president from traveling with the president. However, over the years, a Secret Service protocol has discouraged the president and vice president from traveling together. This is the reason why Vance and Trump do not travel internationally together.
The reason for such a protocol is that if a catastrophe were to happen, the country would need a leader in the presidential line of succession to make decisions. For this reason, the Secret Service often discourages individuals from appearing together publicly or traveling together.
The internet was divided over JD Vance’s Home Alone comment, which, interestingly, is a movie franchise Donald Trump has made a cameo in. “I love moments of levity like this,” one user commented. “It just makes him so real and relatable. It’s why I love President Trump so much. He cracks me up! It’s such a coinky-dink that all the people who “hate” him (them) seem to seriously lack a sense of humor, if any at all.”
REPORTER: Why do you think Trump brings up you or Marco Rubio running for president in 2028?
VP JD VANCE: "I just don't think it sounds like the President of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice!" pic.twitter.com/3kn4gQJqZg
— Global Peace Advocates🕊️ (@GlobalPeaceA0) May 13, 2026
Another user added, “This is why VPs 99% never win presidential elections. They are useless and just there for when something happens. Marco Rubio will be the next president.”
The user’s comment follows Donald Trump, pitting Vance against Rubio. That said, Vance has played coy on the 2028 presidential rumors, stating: “I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice.”
