Vice President JD Vance is facing an intensifying online campaign from Republican critics seeking to derail his potential 2028 presidential bid, but his allies say the attacks have failed to weaken his support among GOP voters.

The self-described “Never Vance” movement has flooded social media with accusations that Vance is “unfit” to serve as vice president because of his efforts to secure a peace agreement with Iran.

Critics have also compared him to former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) while accusing him, without evidence, of pursuing policies that conflict with President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The unusually aggressive campaign comes roughly two years before Republicans are expected to begin selecting Trump’s successor.

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Vance’s allies argue the backlash reflects a coordinated effort by online activists, foreign policy hawks, and establishment Republicans rather than a genuine revolt among rank-and-file GOP voters.

Vance Remains the Clear 2028 Frontrunner

Vance’s political team has largely dismissed the attacks, maintaining that the online campaign has had little effect on his standing with Republican voters.

A close Vance ally told The Washington Post that many of the attacks appear coordinated rather than organic.

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Two other people familiar with the vice president’s political operation reportedly agreed.

Despite the sustained criticism, early Republican primary polling continues to show Vance as the clear 2028 frontrunner.

His support among Republican voters has remained roughly in line with Trump’s, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio has attracted support from more traditional and business-oriented Republicans.

Rubio has publicly said he would support Vance if the vice president enters the race.

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Vance’s advisers believe the campaign could ultimately strengthen him by reinforcing the perception that Washington establishment figures and neoconservatives oppose his America First agenda.

“Loud Washington establishment voices form an online cacophony,” conservative commentator Steve Cortes said, “but they do not remotely represent the consensus views of Republican voters.”

Foreign Policy Hawks Have Long Opposed Vance

Opposition to Vance within the Republican Party began before Trump selected him as his running mate.

Foreign policy hawks, major Republican donors, and conservative media figures reportedly urged Trump to choose Rubio or then-North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum instead.

Burgum now serves as Secretary of the Interior.

Much of the criticism has focused on Vance’s foreign policy views, particularly his skepticism toward prolonged foreign interventions and elements of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

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The criticism intensified after opponents accused him of antisemitism for expressing sympathy toward voices questioning aspects of that relationship.

The latest surge followed Vance’s nearly three-hour appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast on July 15.

During the interview, Vance described himself as a “reasonable moderate” in the debate over U.S.-Israel relations.

He also discussed a Time report concerning an alleged online pro-Israel influence campaign operated by a former Trump campaign official, saying paid influencers had targeted him “in dishonest ways.”

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“You know, my response to that is, ‘Well, go to hell,’” Vance told Rogan.

“I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people.

“I represent Americans first, and that’s the way that I’ve tried to do this job.”

Online Attacks Spike After Rogan Interview

Vance’s comments triggered another round of attacks from pro-Israel commentators and anti-Vance influencers.

A Washington Post analysis of posts on X found that criticism of the vice president spiked immediately following the Rogan interview.

Commentators Ben Shapiro, Marc Thiessen, and Batya Ungar-Sargon were among those criticizing Vance, along with numerous right-wing influencers and smaller X accounts whose posts gained rapid traction.

Some accounts pledging to oppose Vance and support Rubio in 2028 appeared, based on their profiles, to be operated by users outside the United States.

A close Vance ally said it was “obvious to anyone with an IQ above 70” that the barrage of criticism was “totally inauthentic and probably coordinated to a certain extent.”

The person argued that the campaign would have damaged Vance’s support if it were genuinely representative of Republican voters.

“The upsurge in online criticism hasn’t been reflected in any data correlating with Vance’s image among GOP voters, which currently tracks President Trump’s image to a T,” the person said.

“If it were organic, authentic or effective,” Vance’s favorability rating with Republican voters would have collapsed during the nine months since the attacks first intensified, the person added.

“And that just hasn’t happened.”

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Vance Focused on Trump Agenda

A spokesperson for the vice president said Vance remains focused on “fighting for the president’s agenda and delivering wins for the American people” and is unconcerned by social media criticism.

Vance supporters have also begun mounting a public response.

Jon Schweppe, a senior adviser at the American Principles Project and former Trump Federal Trade Commission official, recently posted a chart on X showing that Vance’s Republican favorability had remained stable despite what he called an “anti-Vance op.”

Schweppe said the post quickly attracted dozens of hostile responses from accounts that did not follow him, even though no major account had amplified it.

For now, the online campaign has generated considerable noise without producing evidence that Republican voters are abandoning Vance.

Instead, polling continues to show him holding a commanding position as the party’s early favorite to succeed Trump.

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