EXCLUSIVE: JD Vance White House Interview on 2028, Iran War & 2026 Midterms — EP 825

[0:00] Good Friday. Welcome to the Sean Spicer Show. [0:02] The Vice President of the United States is about to join us. [0:05] Let's get into it. [0:06] Good Friday to you. [0:08] Wow, we are ending the week on a bang. [0:11] The Vice President of the United States is about to join us. [0:14] We are here in his ceremonial office at the White House. [0:18] What an absolute honor. [0:19] We're going to go through everything with him. [0:21] His faith, the midterms, you name it, we've got it covered. [0:25] What about his future? [0:25] When's he going to announce for president or is he? [0:28] I'm going to ask him that. [0:29] We've got so much to get through with the Vice President of the United States. [0:33] What a great way to end a week, bringing you guys here into the White House, [0:37] into the President's Ceremonial Office. [0:39] Just to the left of me, the ceremonial desk that every Vice President in recent history has signed. [0:44] We've got to take a look at that. [0:45] It was unbelievable. [0:46] I'll put up pictures all over my social medias. [0:49] By the way, next week, what a week that we have. [0:52] On Monday, Jim McLaughlin, the President's pollster, will join us. [0:55] Plus, Andy Biggs, he is the current congressman from Arizona who is running for governor. [0:59] He's going to give us a lay of the land as to whether or not that race in Arizona is tight or not. [1:06] Public polls say not. [1:07] I don't think Andy Biggs is going to agree with that. [1:09] We've got a big week. [1:10] And then on Tuesday, Battleground 2026, House edition. [1:13] Battleground 2026, Senate edition. [1:15] On Wednesday, we're going to keep doing this all the way through the election like nobody else. [1:19] This is the place to be for everything you need to know about the midterms and who's going to control what chamber. [1:26] This is it. [1:27] All right. [1:28] Today's episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Polymarket. [1:32] Everybody loves a poll, especially when it tells them what they want to hear. [1:36] But a poll is just a snapshot. [1:38] An election is a moving target. [1:40] That's why I've been watching the Polymarket app. [1:43] You can see how traders are pricing control of Congress, Senate races, individual house contests. [1:48] It's not a poll. [1:50] It's not a guarantee. [1:51] It's a different way to see expectations changing in real time. [1:55] And in politics, expectations are half the story. [1:58] Here's the cool part. [1:59] If you use code Sean Spicer, like Madonna, one word, you get $25 when you deposit $10. [2:05] I mean, talk about helping on affordability. [2:07] That's not a bad deal, right? [2:08] You get $25 when you deposit $10. [2:10] Remember, trading is risky. [2:12] 100% loss can occur. [2:13] It's 18 and older only. [2:15] Restrictions and eligibility requirements do apply. [2:18] Not available in all jurisdictions. [2:20] See HTTPS slash slash polymarketexchange.com slash file slash legal slash latest slash rulebook [2:27] for more information. [2:29] The Polymarket US app serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket [2:33] US and Polymarket Clearing, the FCFTC, Regulated Exchange and Clearing Organizations. [2:40] All right. [2:41] Thank you to Polymarket for sponsoring that. [2:43] Without further ado, I want to welcome in the Vice President of the United States. [2:47] Thank you for having us. [2:50] I appreciate you in the office. [2:51] I didn't, I was trying to raid the mini, mini fridge. [2:54] I didn't see anything around. [2:55] This is the ceremonial office. [2:56] Oh, the good stuff's over. [2:57] Yeah, the good stuff's over the West Wing. [2:59] But we can definitely get you some candy. [3:00] Okay. [3:01] On the way out. [3:01] But yeah, it's a beautiful office. [3:03] I unfortunately just don't use it as much because most of the- [3:05] I'll come over as much as you want. [3:07] Yeah, you can have it if you want to. [3:08] Thank you. [3:08] Thank you. [3:08] For sure. [3:08] But most of the action, as you know, is in the West Wing because that's where the President [3:12] is. [3:12] That's where all the staff is. [3:13] And so that's where I spend most of my time. [3:15] But it's a really beautiful space. [3:16] It is. [3:16] It's amazing. [3:17] Yeah. [3:17] Let me just ask you, it was funny, you were sworn in as Senator January of 2023. [3:23] That's right. [3:24] Two years as a United States Senator, now two years as Vice President. [3:27] That's getting thrown into the deep end of government. [3:29] What have you learned since you first got elected about government that you didn't know now? [3:36] Yeah. [3:37] It's an interesting question. [3:38] I mean, one, I would say that I learned this in the Senate the hard way and maybe in the [3:42] White House the easy way. [3:43] So much of the power in our government does flow for the President of the United States. [3:46] It's very different. [3:47] It's actually funny where sometimes, you know, you'll interact with leaders from the [3:52] PRC or from Russia or these places that I think the American people think of as these [3:56] dictatorships. [3:57] And the reality is that those systems, while, yes, they're dictatorial in terms of electoral [4:01] power, they don't have real elections, man, they are so bureaucratic. [4:06] Decisions get made very slowly in some of these countries. [4:09] Whereas in the administration, again, when you're Joe Biden is the president, that's a [4:13] bad thing. [4:13] When you're Donald Trump is the president, that's a good thing. [4:16] But fundamentally, the president just has a lot of authority. [4:20] And you realize that in government, when you're in the United States Senate, you're [4:22] like, how is it that he is quite literally illegally opening the American Southern border? [4:27] And the reality is because who's going to stop him? [4:30] The courts aren't going to stop him. [4:31] The Senate, you know, we were in the minority as Republicans from 22, 23, 24. [4:35] So that is one thing that I've learned about government. [4:39] I think the second thing that I've learned about government is that a lot depends on [4:43] how active. [4:45] Because the commander-in-chief drives so much of what's happening, a lot can happen, good [4:49] or bad, if you have an active or an unactive commander-in-chief. [4:53] So the perception that we had as senators in the Biden administration, and I think is [4:57] largely true, is that that was very much a staff-driven White House, meaning Joe Biden [5:01] wasn't really making a lot of decisions. [5:03] His staff was extremely powerful. [5:06] Whereas, obviously, in the Trump administration, the president makes all the decisions, and [5:09] we're obviously executing to the best of our abilities. [5:12] So if you don't have an active president, you actually can have a country that's run [5:18] by the bureaucracy, run by the deep state. [5:20] And I think that's exactly what we had when Joe Biden was president. [5:22] You know, you were successful in business. [5:25] You then wrote a very famous book. [5:28] Yeah. [5:28] The Washington Post at the time—I can't believe I'm quoting the Washington Post to [5:31] you—called you the voice of the Rust Belt. [5:34] Yeah. [5:34] You communicated the fears, the hopes, the dreams, the situation of so many working-class [5:40] people. [5:41] If you had to rewrite that book now, what would you say the hopes, the fears, and the concerns [5:46] are of the same people that you talked about in 2016? [5:48] Well, that's an interesting question. [5:50] I mean, I think that in some ways there is greater optimism, right? [5:54] So if you go back to 2014, 2015, 2016, the story of the Rust Belt, of the industrial Midwest [6:00] for 20 years had been factories closing. [6:03] The opioid problem was at an all-time high. [6:05] When I wrote Hillbilly Elegy, I want to say that we had close to 120,000 Americans dying [6:09] of opioid-related problems every single year. [6:12] That number is now down by about half. [6:14] I think in 2026, it'll be around 60,000, which, by the way, is way too high, but it's [6:18] something that we've made significant progress on. [6:21] You do see factories coming into the United States rather than closing down. [6:24] There's a sense of a reindustrialization, of a rebuilding of the American heartland. [6:29] So I think that optimism is definitely there. [6:31] But there also is—there's still a lot of similarities. [6:34] I mean, in some ways, a lot has changed. [6:36] I think the president has done a very good job. [6:38] In other ways, you know, culturally, still very patriotic, still very common sense. [6:43] I tried to say this in 2016, that all of these voters who were so in love with Donald Trump [6:49] and ultimately made Donald Trump president through two or three election cycles, depending [6:54] on your perspective, fundamentally, they are Trump voters. [6:58] They're not ideological conservatives. [6:59] These are not people who wake up every day and say, you know, we can't do this because [7:04] Milton Friedman said that, whatever your views of Milton Friedman. [7:07] They're people who are very pragmatic. [7:08] And I think one of the things they were attracted to with Donald Trump is he said a very pragmatic [7:13] thing, which is America has been losing for too long. [7:15] We want to get America winning again. [7:17] And I think his policies have done exactly that. [7:19] I remember in 2016, in the lead-up to the election, my dad said something to me. [7:24] He said, Donald Trump said—a lot of politicians got there talking about, my policy is going [7:29] to do this and all this. [7:29] Donald Trump said, I'm going to get your job back. [7:31] Yes. [7:32] Right? [7:32] He talked about fighting for your job, that guy's job, this woman's job. [7:36] And it resonated with people in a way that it never had in politics. [7:40] Do you think that that message is still something that people hear out there? [7:43] I'm going to get your job back. [7:44] I'm going to make your life better. [7:46] Absolutely. [7:46] And I think it's, in fact, the most important thing in politics. [7:49] People want to know that you have somebody in the White House who's fighting for them, [7:52] who's fighting for the things that they care about. [7:54] And of course, it's not just their jobs, right? [7:55] Jobs are an important part of your life, of your dignity, of your ability to provide a living for your family. [8:01] But it's also, am I safe to walk down the street in my own neighborhood? [8:05] Do I have an ability to send my kid off to school knowing that that kid is going to be safe? [8:10] Do I have a recognition that if a kid goes to a playground and they see a piece of candy, [8:16] it's not going to be a piece of fentanyl that was imported by the Mexican drug cartels? [8:20] Because that was one of the craziest things we saw during the Biden administration. [8:23] It's kind of easy to forget that one of the ways these cartels were importing these drugs [8:27] is by masking them as children's candy. [8:31] And then that candy would make it onto a playground. [8:33] And you hear these stories about kids who were poisoned playing on an American playground. [8:38] So I think this recognition that, like, I just want you to have a good life. [8:42] My job as your vice president, as your president, our job is to make sure you have a good life. [8:48] And that's exactly what we're trying to do. [8:50] Now, obviously, the American people have personal responsibility. [8:53] They have a role to play, but our job is to sort of plow the field. [8:56] Our job is to make it easier for them to get ahead. [8:59] And I think that recognition, not these abstractions, not the things that you sometimes heard politicians talk about, [9:05] or frankly, most of the time heard politicians talk about, our job is to fight for you. [9:10] I think that resonated in 2016. [9:11] I think it still resonates today. [9:14] Voters sometimes are always looking to the future. [9:17] What are you going to do for me? [9:18] Sure. [9:19] As you guys now sit here 18 days from a midterm election, [9:22] do you—is it somewhat of a concern that the dog caught the car, right? [9:26] You mentioned fentanyl, you mentioned open borders. [9:29] The border is sealed. [9:30] And the question is, the fentanyl, you don't see that as a story anymore because you guys fixed it. [9:34] That's right. [9:35] Is part of the problem to some degree that you're not taking enough credit and reminding people of what you did? [9:42] I mean, I know that sounds very simple, but I don't hear anyone talking about the border. [9:46] I don't hear that—I know people are still very concerned about fentanyl, [9:48] but not in the same national way that it was in the way that you describe it. [9:52] You know, it's funny. [9:52] I did a town hall in Michigan yesterday, and the border didn't come up at all. [9:56] And I thought about it to myself, how different is this from two years ago, [9:58] where that was the number one or the number two concern for most voters? [10:02] I wouldn't call it a problem, Sean, because I think that the American voter is impatient. [10:07] And I actually think that's a good thing. [10:08] I like that they're constantly—like Donald Trump, their foot is constantly on the gas. [10:12] Not, what did you do for me two weeks ago, but what are you going to do for me two weeks from now? [10:16] And I think that creates a certain pressure inside our government. [10:19] Certainly, I feel that pressure to deliver day after day. [10:22] Now, I do think it's important to remind people of your accomplishments, [10:25] because your accomplishments can be predictive of what you're going to do in the future. [10:29] We didn't just talk about closing the border. [10:31] We actually did it. [10:32] We didn't just talk about getting opioid overdose deaths down. [10:34] We actually did it. [10:35] We didn't just talk about bringing trillions of dollars of new investment into the country. [10:38] We actually did it. [10:39] So I do think you have to sort of, you know, raise the flag and celebrate your accomplishments a little bit. [10:44] But I do fundamentally think you have to make a promise to the American voter, [10:47] a believable promise that you can continue to work on things that they care about today. [10:52] If—on the issue of affordability, what do you think are the accomplishments of this administration [10:59] in the last two years that have made an impact on people's lives? [11:01] Yeah. [11:02] Well, first of all, I think the comparisons—you've got to start there, [11:05] because you have to ask yourself, what did we inherit and where are we now? [11:09] We inherited 8%-plus inflation, the highest inflation in 40 years. [11:13] Core inflation last month was 2.4%. [11:16] By the way, still too high, but substantially lower than 8%. [11:20] Home prices under the Biden administration—I was just in Detroit yesterday. [11:24] In the Detroit metro area, home prices had skyrocketed under the Biden administration. [11:28] The first year of the Trump administration, home prices actually had come down a little bit [11:33] in the Detroit metro area. [11:34] Rents have come down. [11:35] We talk to young people a lot, and one of the main concerns they have is they felt like [11:39] they couldn't afford to rent a good house or a good apartment. [11:41] That problem is slowly being solved. [11:43] So I think we have to remind ourselves that all of these things were so much worse under [11:48] the Biden administration, and we have made significant improvements. [11:51] But we also have to level set with voters and say, yes, we've made significant improvements. [11:55] Inflation is lower. [11:57] House prices are lower. [11:58] Rents are more affordable than they were three years ago, but there's still a lot more [12:02] work to do. [12:03] As I often say, Rome wasn't built in a day. [12:05] The country was not broken in two years. [12:08] As much as I would like to blame Biden for everything, the reality is that we had a bipartisan [12:12] 40-year consensus of shipping American jobs overseas and under-investing in the American [12:17] worker. [12:17] Donald Trump has done more in 18 months than any other president has done in 10 years [12:21] to reverse that problem. [12:23] But there's still a lot more work to do, which is why I say to the American people, don't [12:27] elect the people who cause these problems. [12:30] Elect the Republicans who are working on these problems and solving them every day. [12:34] There's three things that I think you guys have done that have been transformational. [12:38] Trump Rx, bringing down the cost, real substantial impact on people's budget, prescription drugs, [12:43] and millions of people taking GLP-1s. [12:46] That's massive. [12:47] Gone from thousands to tens of dollars. [12:50] Trump accounts, transformational for the next generation. [12:53] And frankly, the Maha movement, adding transparency to so many things. [12:56] How important is that in these last 18 days to make sure people know about those three [13:01] particular items? [13:01] Yeah, so I talk about Trump Rx in every single speech that I give because you're right. [13:05] It is one of the most significant achievements. [13:07] And it's something to remind people that as much as the Democrats talk about how they [13:11] care about drug affordability and pharmaceutical prices, Donald Trump actually did something [13:15] about it. [13:16] It was actually amazingly simple. [13:18] It just required a lot of willpower from the president. [13:20] And what he did, I saw it personally. [13:22] He brought the executives of the pharmaceutical companies in and said, wait a second, you guys [13:25] are charging European consumers 20% what you're charging an American consumer, we should not [13:31] be subsidizing the pharmaceutical prices for the rest of the world. [13:34] And if you don't bring down those prices, we are going to penalize you. [13:38] And predictably, all the pharmaceutical companies said, you know what? [13:41] You're right. [13:42] That is fundamentally unfair. [13:43] The Europeans are going to pay a little bit more. [13:45] Americans are going to pay much less. [13:47] A major accomplishment. [13:48] You know, the Trump accounts thing, I mean, I joke with people that this is why we had [13:52] a fourth baby. [13:53] We wanted to benefit from the Trump accounts. [13:56] But what this means to me is participation in America's capitalist economy. [14:01] We want a generation of Americans who own something. [14:04] They're not just permanent renters. [14:06] They're not just people who are cashing a check, paying their rent, and trying to get by. [14:10] They're able to build real generational wealth. [14:13] And what this is going to mean is that every single child born in this country is going to [14:17] have a stake. [14:18] When you see the stock market go up, when you see the economic numbers for the country [14:22] at large go up, that's not just something you see on the TV or you hear about. [14:26] That's something that means real wealth creation for you, for your children, for your family. [14:31] And I think that is going to be transformational in people, you know, as with all these things. [14:36] Like, if you're a one-year-old child or you're the parent of a one-year-old child who has [14:40] $2,000 in a Trump account, you know, that's great. [14:43] You like that. [14:44] But when your kid's 18 and that $2,000 has become tens of thousands of dollars or maybe [14:50] even more, that's when you're really going to feel the impact. [14:52] And I think that's how you transform this country into a place where we own a stake in [14:57] the future. [14:58] And that to me, Sean, is the fundamental ambition of Trump's, what I call, economic nationalism [15:03] is that we're sick of people feeling like they're just treading water in their own [15:08] country. [15:08] We want you to gain a real stake in the future. [15:12] But to do that, you've got to be able to build wealth and build a little bit of a cushion [15:16] for yourself so that you're not living paycheck to paycheck. [15:18] I want to talk about Iran. [15:20] But when I was thinking about this conversation, you are the first person, president or vice [15:27] president, since Al Gore to go to combat. [15:29] Oh, interesting. [15:30] When you have a conversation with the president and decisions are coming up about what we can [15:37] do, the courses of action in Iran, what experience do you bring to bear because you were a Marine [15:44] that actually went to Iraq and you understand the impact of war more than anyone else has [15:49] who sat in that situation room back to the Clinton Gore? [15:51] Yeah, that's right. [15:53] Well, the thing that I, look, frankly, I don't have to do that much here because the president [15:58] of the United States and I are very much aligned on how we think about military action, which is [16:03] that it has to accomplish a discrete objective. [16:06] You can't just go to war because it feels good. [16:09] You can't go to war because you're angry or because you're frustrated. [16:12] You have to say, what does this military objective, how is it connected to a strategic goal that we have [16:17] for the United States of America? [16:19] And that is certainly the role that I play within the Oval Office. [16:22] I'm always asking, if we do this thing, how does it accomplish something that we care about? [16:27] What are the costs and benefits? [16:28] What are the tradeoffs here? [16:29] And I think about that, I think certainly because I was a Marine who served in Iraq, [16:33] because I know a lot of people who lost life or lost limb who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, [16:39] I'm constantly asking, we're basically asking our people. [16:43] And we've lost, I think, 20 soldiers and troops from other services in the Iran conflict. [16:50] I constantly ask myself, OK, this is the most valuable resource that we have, the lives of [16:56] our people, people who put their lives voluntarily on the line for their fellow citizens. [17:00] We have to be getting something very, very beneficial if we're asking these people potentially [17:05] to pay the ultimate sacrifice. [17:07] And that's the perspective that I bring to it. [17:09] But, you know, the president, I'll say this. [17:12] If you go back to what he said about the Iraq War 20 years ago, if you go back to what he [17:16] said about a number of America's military, I would say, misadventures, he is a guy who [17:20] is very mindful that we don't want to be involved in forever prolonged conflicts. [17:26] If we're going to do something, we're going to accomplish the mission and come home. [17:29] And I think that's exactly how he thinks about military engagements. [17:32] Beyond the threat that Iran poses, I believe that economically and militarily, the threat [17:37] that China poses is an unbelievable existential threat to our well-being here. [17:41] Sure. [17:42] Do you think that we are prepared as a nation to take on China as the threat that it poses? [17:47] I think that we're more prepared than we were two years ago, but it's going to be a constant, [17:50] a constant evolution. [17:51] So I'll give you a crazy story. [17:53] So when we first came in, one of the first meetings I had with the economic team, Scott [17:57] Percent, Howard, Lutnick, I said, what are our supply chain vulnerabilities? [18:02] Like, if God forbid you have another COVID, as you guys dealt with during the first Trump [18:06] administration, what are the things that people won't have access to because the Chinese have [18:13] supply chain control over those products? [18:15] And obviously, like, I didn't expect Howard and Scott to have done the work. [18:18] We had been here for two days. [18:19] I said, what are the Biden administration? [18:20] Maybe it's not good work products, but it's a place to start. [18:23] Surely, over the last four years, they asked this question. [18:26] Nobody in the Biden administration had asked that question. [18:29] Nobody had produced that report. [18:30] So we went and did that. [18:32] And obviously, one of the things we've been doing over the past couple of years is to just [18:35] make ourself more self-sufficient. [18:37] Now, we talk about it mostly in terms of jobs. [18:39] Let's rebuild America. [18:40] Let's bring back people's jobs. [18:41] But it's also a national security question because we want to make sure that the things [18:44] that we really need are made by American workers in American factories, not in some foreign [18:49] country. [18:50] That's how you ultimately make your country stronger. [18:52] And that's how you deal with what is absolutely a rising China, a China that is growing in [18:58] power and influence. [18:59] And I think what the president has done is actually genius, which is, on the one hand, [19:03] preserve good relations with the president of China. [19:06] You don't want to have a conflict when it's not necessary, while at the same time strengthening [19:11] your own country so that you have more optionality, more optionality in economic negotiations [19:16] and more optionality, God forbid, if the Chinese did something, which we don't expect them [19:20] to do, but you've always got to be prepared for that rainy day. [19:23] I hate to jump in, but a note from our sponsor, Polymarket. [19:28] Do you want to know what Washington is really paying attention to? [19:31] Watch where the money goes. [19:34] Campaigns move resources outside groups by advertising. [19:38] Strategists quietly change priorities. [19:40] And on the Polymarket app, traders take positions about which party will control Congress and how [19:45] individual races will turn out. [19:47] Now, a market isn't a crystal ball. [19:49] Prices can be wrong, but watching those prices move adds to another dimension following the [19:55] midterms. [19:55] And believe me, there's plenty to follow. [19:57] Here's the cool part. [19:58] If you want to download the Polymarket app or go to polymarket.us, you can use code [20:02] SEANSPICER for 25 bucks when you deposit 10. [20:05] Remember, trading is risky. [20:07] 100% loss can occur. [20:09] It's 18 and older only. [20:11] Restrictions and eligibility requirements do apply. [20:13] Not available in all jurisdictions. [20:16] See HTTPS slash slash polymarketexchange.com slash file slash legal slash latest slash rulebook [20:23] for more information. [20:24] The Polymarket.us app serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket.us [20:29] and Polymarket Clearing. [20:31] The FCFTC regulated exchange and clearing organizations. [20:35] Now back to the vice president. [20:37] Let's talk midterms for a second. [20:41] You mentioned you're in Michigan. [20:42] You guys have been crisscrossing the entire country. [20:43] What are the states that you think, in terms of the United States Senate, your wheelhouse [20:48] here, concern you the most that are considered toss-ups? [20:52] You know, I always think about it in terms of pickup opportunities or loss opportunities, [20:56] right? [20:56] And I think the pickup opportunity I'm most excited about is Michigan. [20:59] I think Mike Rogers is a good guy. [21:00] I think he's running against a total crazy person in Abdul El-Sayed. [21:04] And so if your viewers are at home thinking, you know, maybe they have a few extra bucks [21:07] to spare to contribute to a political candidate, I think Mike Rogers is on a knife's edge there. [21:12] It could go either way, and supporting him would be a major pickup opportunity for Republicans. [21:19] You know, there are a couple of states, obviously, you always worry about Maine, which is a state [21:22] that Kamala Harris voted or voted for Kamala Harris by eight points. [21:26] You know, North Carolina is always tough. [21:28] It's always very, very tight. [21:30] Even, you know, in the 2024— [21:31] You're not giving up on North Carolina? [21:32] I'm not giving up on North Carolina. [21:33] In fact, I'm traveling there, I think, next week in a couple of days. [21:36] Okay. [21:36] So I'm not giving up on it, but look, it's going to be tight. [21:39] Yes. [21:39] And that could be either tight in a good way or that could be tight in a bad way. [21:43] So we're just going to keep on working. [21:44] You worry about Ohio? [21:44] That's your seat. [21:45] Look, man, I worry about everything. [21:47] It's my job. [21:47] I know, but you know Ohio. [21:49] You know the people there. [21:50] This is a state that, I mean, both at the governor's level and for the seat that you [21:54] once held is a little tight, tighter than probably a lot of people expected it. [21:59] And what I would say is my job is to make sure that we're spending resources properly. [22:05] I think that we're going to win Ohio. [22:07] And I think we just have to remind people that if you're in Ohio and you're thinking [22:10] about Sherrod Brown versus John Huston, don't judge Sherrod Brown by what he says in his [22:14] TV advertisements. [22:15] Judge him by the fact that he voted to raise your taxes, that he helped ship your jobs overseas, [22:20] that he helped open the border, that he helped poison your neighbors and your neighbor's [22:23] kids with fentanyl because he was the person inviting those drug cartels into our country. [22:27] So I think that we have an amazing argument to make in the state of Ohio. [22:31] We're making it. [22:31] I feel the momentum there. [22:33] I think we're going to win. [22:34] But Sean, it's going to be tight. [22:35] People forget that Barack Obama won Ohio against Mitt Romney by three points. [22:40] People think, again, that Ohio is a red state because Donald Trump and I won it by 11 points [22:45] in 2024. [22:46] I would say that it is a pro-Trump state, but it's not a hardcore Republican state. [22:51] And so we still got to do the work. [22:53] Is there, I mean, what about Texas? [22:54] You think we end up pulling that over the line? [22:56] You know, I do. [22:57] I do. [22:57] I was actually campaigning in Texas earlier this week with Ken Paxton. [23:01] I think Ken's a great guy. [23:02] And I do think that he has the momentum. [23:03] Look, the thing about Texas is these are even, you know, you're talking middle-of-the-road voters, [23:10] people who are not hardcore Republicans. [23:13] Maybe they don't love every policy of the Trump administration, but they're fundamentally [23:16] decent and normal people. [23:18] And they don't, they're not going to vote for a guy like James Tallarico who says that [23:23] we need to stop eating barbecue in Texas or says that God is actually, has six genders. [23:30] These things are, sorry, God is non-binary, but humans have six genders. [23:34] You know, he's just an odd guy who said a lot of weird stuff. [23:37] I can't believe it's just close. [23:38] And done even weirder stuff. [23:40] We'll see on election day. [23:42] Remember, 2018, Ted Cruz beat Benner-Rourke by two and a half points in a race, by the [23:47] way that everybody said Republicans were going to lose. [23:49] We pulled that out more comfortably, I'd say, than most people gave us credit for. [23:52] I think we're going to pull this one out too. [23:54] I want to ask you about your faith for a second. [23:56] Sure. [23:56] I'm a Catholic as well. [23:58] I've heard you speak about your faith. [23:59] I've read your book, very eloquent talk about your conversion and what you mean. [24:04] The thing that's interesting to me, where I always find conflict, especially in this [24:08] administration, is that the Bible tells us constantly to turn the other cheek, to love [24:13] our enemies, to pray for them in fact. [24:15] Sure. [24:15] Donald Trump says, go get them. [24:17] Right? [24:18] And I've seen you. [24:19] You are a hardcore attack dog. [24:21] How do you reconcile sometimes what our faith tells us to do to our enemies with the political [24:26] nature and environment that we live in now? [24:29] I guess the way that I reconcile it is that, you know, we're all, I mean, by our nature, [24:35] we are imperfect beings. [24:36] In fact, that's the lesson of the gospel, is that we need God's grace. [24:39] That's why Christ came to the earth, is to redeem the human soul. [24:45] And I try to remind myself that when God tells me to pray for my enemy, that's not easy. [24:51] Yes. [24:51] So you have to try. [24:52] You do. [24:53] And there are a lot of things that God tells me to do that I don't find come naturally [24:57] to me because I'm a fallen, sinful creature. [24:59] But that's, I think, what I take from my faith is we're constantly being called to be a better [25:05] person. [25:05] And if you believe in the hope of the Christian faith, you believe that through grace, through [25:10] a slow process of God working from the inside, that can happen. [25:14] So I guess my attitude is I don't worry that I'm imperfect. [25:17] In fact, God tells me that I'm imperfect. [25:19] What I worry about is I try to get better each and every day. [25:22] I know, but don't you, like, sometimes I'm lashing out at someone and I can hear, I can [25:26] hear, you know, the priest from high school saying, Sean, you know that you don't need [25:30] to say that about them. [25:31] Or my wife saying, don't tweet that. [25:33] But you, you, you, like. [25:34] My wife, your wife says that to you as well. [25:36] Or delete it. [25:39] But, but my point is, is that, like, I get it. [25:41] Like, we, we, there's this yin and yang of, like, God asks us to be better, to turn the [25:45] other cheek and to say, all right, you guys look stupid. [25:47] I'll be the better person. [25:49] And, and I struggle with that because they say some pretty mean stuff about us. [25:52] Sure, sure. [25:53] Look, I mean, we inherently have an adversarial political system, right? [25:56] Right. [25:56] We have to go to the American people and say, this is what's good about us. [25:59] And this is what's bad about the other guy. [26:01] And so you've got to vote for us to get more of the good and less of the bad. [26:04] But I, I always think you can do that in the most rancorous way possible. [26:09] And I actually think not just that it can be sinful, but it can actually turn people [26:12] off. [26:12] But I think that if you, you could make a compelling argument to people, that's what [26:15] I try to do. [26:16] I'm sure that I'm, I don't always get it right. [26:18] Yeah. [26:18] But you make as compelling of an argument as you can. [26:21] But I don't, I mean, look, I'm, I'm a, I'm not a theologian. [26:24] So ask somebody who knows something more about this than I do. [26:27] But I don't think that the Christian gospel requires you to not engage in the [26:31] adversarial process. [26:32] No, it doesn't. [26:32] I just didn't know. [26:33] I think that it requires you to try to engage in that process as the best version of yourself [26:38] and the best representative of the faith that you can be. [26:41] One thing I always try to remind myself, Sean, is that the thing that actually brought me [26:45] back to Christ was actually not like reading something interesting. [26:49] It wasn't an idea in my head. [26:50] I didn't have a conversion on the road to Damascus. [26:52] It was seeing the way that Christians live their life. [26:55] By the way, imperfect Christians, Christians who still made mistakes, but you could see that [27:00] sort of ray of grace shining through them. [27:02] You just got to try to be the best version of yourself that you can be because people [27:06] watch you. [27:07] And I try to remind myself that, you know, I wrote this book about converting to Catholicism, [27:11] about returning to my Christian faith. [27:13] And, you know, part of that means that there are other people out there who look at Sean Spicer [27:18] and look at J.D. Vance and say, are they being good Christians? [27:21] Are they good representatives on earth of Christ in heaven? [27:25] You try your best. [27:26] All right. [27:26] I want to ask you about your future. [27:27] Yeah. [27:28] We're 18 days out for midterm. [27:29] I get it. [27:30] That's the focus. [27:31] You're going to say that. [27:32] But, but there's a lot of people after the election who are going to say, okay, you are [27:36] the front runner for a million reasons. [27:39] Give us a sense of the timeline. [27:41] When will you make a decision about your own future? [27:43] Because a lot of people are going to make a decision based on your decision. [27:46] Is it a month, two months, three months? [27:50] I mean, that's very hard to answer because I'm a procrastinator and I'm so focused on [27:56] the midterms and I'm just the nature, like, it's funny. [27:59] If my wife was making this decision, she would have been thinking about this for the past two [28:03] years. [28:04] What's the decision? [28:05] But I'm the sort of person, I'm not going to make the decision until I really have to. [28:08] And what, what, what, what's, what helps you move towards it or away? [28:10] Is there family? [28:11] Is it the political environment? [28:13] Certainly family. [28:14] The first thing you have to make sure we got four little kids. [28:16] You have to make sure that you could do this in a way that actually was, was good for [28:20] the kids. [28:21] Like you cannot sacrifice your family for even the very high office and the high service that [28:27] comes along with it. [28:28] So you've got to, of course, make sure your family is aligned with it, signed up for it. [28:31] You've got to make sure that you think you're the right person that can make a good contribution [28:35] to the country at that time. [28:36] I just think, man, the midterms will happen and then I'll have to start thinking about it. [28:40] And then I will. [28:40] OK, last cycle, Joe Biden dropped out. [28:45] Kamala Harris was, by all intents and purposes, coronated. [28:49] Hypothetically speaking, not J.D. Vance, if the next Republican candidate has an option of [28:55] being endorsed out of the gate by Donald Trump, which would in fact be a coronation, because [29:01] when Donald Trump endorses somebody or saying to the president, you let us go through a [29:05] competitive primary, what would you advise a hypothetical candidate? [29:09] Would they better be better served by a competitive primary or a coronation? [29:13] This is a very smart way of asking me if I'm running for president. [29:16] And I'm not going to take the bait, Sean, because really, again, I have not I have not [29:19] thought about. [29:20] Look, I think that, you know, some people, when they ask this question, it's interesting. [29:26] The implication is almost, well, you're the vice president. [29:28] Don't you feel kind of entitled to it? [29:30] They don't say it in exactly those words, but they do. [29:33] And the answer is, of course not. [29:35] So I think the attitude you have to take, if you were going to run to be the president [29:39] of the United States— [29:39] But if Donald Trump said, hey, I think you're the best person, I'm going to endorse you [29:42] today, would you want it? [29:44] Then the primary is over, of course. [29:47] I think whoever the president endorses will ultimately win the Republican primary. [29:50] I do think—I see what you're getting at. [29:52] Look, I think there's a lot of value. [29:53] There is a lot of value to going and making the best case that you can to the American people, [29:58] because while Donald Trump will ultimately decide who's going to be the Republican nominee, [30:02] you have a general election. [30:04] 330 million Americans are going to decide who the president of the United States is. [30:06] If you did decide it, Ray, are you going to shave the beard or are you keeping it? [30:10] Ask my wife, man. [30:11] Okay. [30:12] You know how the beard came about? [30:13] I was never a beard guy. [30:15] We went on vacation once, and I just didn't bring a razor. [30:18] And I, like, grew it out. [30:20] And my wife was like, oh, it looks pretty good. [30:21] And then Rob Portman announced his resignation from the Senate. [30:25] And I started running for the Senate, and I had a beard, and it just kind of stuck. [30:29] But anyway. [30:30] I had a similar situation, but I was compelled to—they were like, that looks horrible. [30:33] Get rid of it. [30:34] The last question I want to ask you is, when I announced yesterday that I was coming to see you, [30:39] the number one question I got was ask him about his relationship with Tucker Carlson. [30:44] Okay. [30:44] Okay, but here's what I think—the way I want to ask it is this. [30:48] I think it's extremely admirable, your loyalty to friends and family. [30:52] It's something that I try to live by every day. [30:54] I don't go out and criticize anyone in this administration, even when I think they're— [30:58] that's just not how I think you should live your life. [31:01] If someone's a friend of yours, be a friend. [31:03] But at what point do you find that because of your position as vice president, [31:08] you've maybe got to call some balls and strikes about anybody? [31:11] Don't make it specific to Tucker or anybody. [31:12] At what point do you say, hey, they're a friend. [31:15] I appreciate my relationship. [31:17] But what they're saying here is not something that isn't consistent with my values. [31:21] I think you have to do that all the time. [31:23] And I've done that with Tucker. [31:24] I've done it with any number of people. [31:26] Let me just give you a very concrete example. [31:28] So Tucker, obviously, one of the reasons he's very, very angry is over the Iran war. [31:32] He does not like the Iran war. [31:33] He and I have had that conversation in private, in public. [31:36] I know how he feels, and I understand. [31:39] What I've said to Tucker is don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. [31:43] I'm not going to convince you on the Iran war one way or the other, [31:47] but aren't closed borders and ending the ridiculous anti-white racial discrimination [31:52] in our university admissions, aren't these things worth actually acknowledging [31:56] that Donald Trump has done a lot of good, [31:58] even if you disagree with him on that one issue? [32:00] You can have that disagreement. [32:02] And I think I have had that disagreement. [32:03] What I don't like is this idea of, oh, this person, first of all, [32:07] I've seen this with Donald Trump. [32:09] I've seen it with Tucker. [32:10] I've seen it with any number of people that I've spoken to about politics, [32:13] where some reporter will come and say, [32:15] well, Donald Trump said this terrible thing. [32:17] Do you disavow it? [32:18] And then I'll go and look at what he said. [32:19] I'll be like, actually, not only do I disavow it, [32:21] you're lying about what he said. [32:23] And not only do I not disavow it, [32:25] you're lying about what he said. [32:27] And what he actually said is totally correct. [32:29] It's 100% right. [32:30] So I don't do the thing where I allow the media [32:34] to put words in anybody's mouth. [32:36] What I do is I listen to what people say. [32:39] And when Tucker says, for example, [32:41] that Abdul El-Sayed is the America first candidate, [32:44] what I'd say to Tucker, again, I've said this to him privately, [32:46] and I'll say it publicly. [32:47] Okay, Abdul El-Sayed is a guy who, [32:49] you agree with him about the Iran war, and I understand that. [32:53] But wait a second. [32:54] This is a guy who says that the Iran conflict is a problem [32:57] because it violates international law. [32:59] How is that America first? [33:01] He hangs out with the Muslim blurb there. [33:03] A guy who said that a terrorist who tried to kill [33:07] a bunch of innocent schoolchildren, [33:08] that he empathized not with the innocent families, [33:11] but with the terrorist himself. [33:12] So I think that you have a responsibility [33:14] to have these disagreements, [33:16] but I'm not going to do the thing where I say, [33:20] because I disagree with what Tucker has said [33:22] about Abdul El-Sayed, [33:24] therefore I think that he's a terrible person, [33:25] and I disavow him. [33:26] I am never going to do that. [33:27] I think it's disloyal. [33:28] And I think that anybody who conducts themselves like that [33:31] in order to gain political advantage [33:32] is not worthy of the vice presidency. [33:35] Sir, thank you for your time. [33:36] Good luck in the last 18 days. [33:37] Really appreciate your time. [33:37] Thanks, man. [33:38] Appreciate you. [33:38] A big thanks to the vice president. [33:42] I mean, that was super generous. [33:44] We're thinking 18 days out from the midterm elections, [33:48] which are super, super important. [33:50] And the vice president taking time on this Friday [33:52] to sit down with us. [33:53] I have a feeling he ran across the street [33:54] to spend some quality time with the president. [33:57] If you watched the huddle this morning, [33:58] you know the president's got some events today, [34:00] and then he's headed down to Mar-a-Lago. [34:02] Now, I always joke to look at the weather, [34:05] whether it's Bedminster or Mar-a-Lago, [34:07] it's supposed to rain on Saturday and Sunday. [34:10] Now, it's in the 80s, [34:11] so it's not a bad place to be down there in Palm Beach [34:13] early in the season, [34:13] but it's going to rain. [34:15] What does that mean? [34:15] I don't know that he makes it to the golf course. [34:17] And if he's sitting around on that patio at Mar-a-Lago, [34:20] taking phone calls, talking to people, [34:22] whether it's policy, personnel, [34:24] you name it, politics, [34:26] he's going to get a lot of input from his friends, [34:28] from people who are club members [34:29] that want to talk to him, [34:30] give him their input, [34:31] people calling him all weekend long. [34:33] There's a lot in each one of those categories. [34:35] Where's the money going in each of these races? [34:37] You heard the vice president talk about that. [34:38] What about some of these recent policy [34:40] or personnel issues that are coming up? [34:42] You think about it. [34:43] Katie Zachariah, we've talked about it a lot. [34:45] We've talked about it on the show. [34:47] Susie Wiles, [34:48] there's a lot of rumbling about her status. [34:50] You saw this big blow up [34:51] at the State Department the other day. [34:53] Paolo Zampoli versus the deputy secretary of state [34:55] going back and forth on some issues. [34:58] Paolo losing that battle, [34:59] being fired yesterday, last night. [35:01] As a matter of fact, [35:02] then there's some issues with Rick Garnell [35:03] and Alina Haba, you name it. [35:05] But there's a lot of people calling [35:07] and weighing in on all these different sides [35:09] as things go right now, [35:11] 18 days before an election. [35:12] And then, as I mentioned, the politics. [35:14] That's a lot to deal with right now. [35:16] Plus the policy issues. [35:17] You think about it, Iran, [35:19] the economy. [35:21] So many things happening right now [35:23] that people are calling the president, [35:24] weighing in on, [35:25] giving them their two cents [35:26] on what he should do, [35:27] what he shouldn't do, [35:28] how he should do it. [35:29] Those are the things. [35:30] When you think about this conversation [35:31] that we just had [35:32] with the vice president, though, [35:33] 18 days out, [35:34] think about it. [35:35] The difference for what this guy was, [35:37] I was thinking about this [35:38] as we started doing research [35:40] for this interview. [35:41] Four years ago today, [35:43] he was a citizen of Ohio [35:45] involved in finance. [35:47] He gets elected to the U.S. Senate [35:48] and then suddenly, [35:50] two years later, [35:51] thrust into the national spotlight [35:53] as the vice president [35:54] of the United States. [35:56] You wouldn't think about it [35:57] during that interview, [35:58] but I did because I remember it [36:00] looking up. [36:00] He's 43 years old. [36:02] 43 years old. [36:03] I look back and think, [36:03] when I was 43 years old, [36:04] could I have been [36:05] vice president of the United States? [36:06] Did I have the level of maturity [36:08] and insight that he does today? [36:09] No. [36:10] I think I was older than 43 [36:11] when I became White House press secretary, [36:13] and it was still a challenge. [36:14] Imagine being the number two person [36:16] in the country to the president [36:17] when it comes to these decisions, [36:19] when it comes to being ready, [36:20] the scrutiny, the security, [36:23] all those things [36:24] that come into being vice president. [36:25] I think the vice president [36:26] is doing an amazing job [36:28] getting and giving the president [36:30] of the United States [36:31] sage advice on so many issues. [36:33] But these guys are working [36:34] the tail off. [36:34] You heard him say, [36:35] he was just in Michigan, [36:36] he's been all over, [36:37] he's been in Texas, [36:38] he's headed to North Carolina, [36:40] and that was a key thing. [36:42] You hear all the time [36:42] in the mainstream media, [36:43] oh, North Carolina and Georgia, [36:45] they're giving up. [36:46] The most valuable thing [36:47] in any campaign [36:48] is time and money, right? [36:50] The money from MAGA Inc. [36:51] is still flowing [36:52] to North Carolina and Georgia. [36:54] And then you look at the time. [36:55] The president, [36:56] he's headed to North Carolina. [36:57] The vice president announcing here today, [36:59] he's headed to North Carolina. [37:01] Those are big, big undertakings, right? [37:04] Think about how much time [37:05] they have in any given day [37:06] with 18 days to go. [37:07] They believe that those two races [37:09] are still winnable. [37:10] And the data suggests that it's true. [37:12] There's no question. [37:13] If you think that North Carolina [37:14] is a nine, 10-point race, [37:16] you're sadly mistaken. [37:17] Now, can it be pulled over the top? [37:19] I don't know. [37:20] The numbers are there in both states. [37:22] If you think about Georgia, [37:23] Rick Jackson, [37:25] the nominee for governor, right? [37:27] He's got billions of dollars. [37:28] He's running against [37:29] Keisha Lance Bottoms. [37:31] She hasn't spent [37:32] more than a million bucks. [37:34] The get-out-the-vote effort, [37:35] knocking on those doors, [37:36] putting up yard signs, [37:37] making telephone calls, [37:37] chasing ballots [37:38] to make sure that people [37:39] turn in the ballot [37:40] is a very expensive endeavor. [37:43] The nice thing about having [37:44] a billionaire at the top [37:45] of the ticket [37:45] is that he's funding all of this. [37:47] It's not the National Party. [37:48] It's not some outside entity [37:50] that's coming in. [37:50] It's Rick Jackson himself. [37:52] Why do I bring that up? [37:53] Because I can't imagine [37:55] going to the polls [37:55] and voting for Rick Jackson [37:57] for governor of Georgia [37:58] as a Republican [37:58] and then crossing over [38:00] and saying, [38:00] I'm going to support John Ossoff. [38:02] Does that really make any sense? [38:04] I don't think so. [38:06] So I believe fundamentally, [38:07] if you just look at [38:08] the mechanics of this race, [38:10] that it's going to be [38:10] a lot, lot closer [38:11] than the polls suggest. [38:13] Ossoff's gotten a lot [38:13] of punch drunk, [38:14] politically speaking. [38:15] He's out there [38:16] going to other places. [38:17] He's giving money away. [38:19] I think that this is going [38:20] to tighten up a lot closer [38:21] down the home stretch [38:22] in these last 18 days, [38:24] mostly because, again, [38:25] the numbers are there. [38:26] You look at North Carolina, [38:28] Michael Watley [38:29] against Roy Cooper. [38:30] They're starting to really [38:31] hammer home this criminal, [38:32] criminal charge [38:34] against Cooper, [38:35] who was governor [38:35] and let out a lot of people [38:37] that did bad things. [38:39] They're starting to hammer [38:39] that home. [38:40] The problem that I have [38:41] in North Carolina right now [38:42] is the Watley campaign [38:43] itself doesn't have any money. [38:45] They just came down [38:46] off the air. [38:47] Now, they say they're [38:48] going back up, [38:48] but it's not a good sign [38:49] when 18 days out, [38:51] they pull down [38:51] all their advertising. [38:52] That shows that they have [38:53] a money problem [38:54] because people right now [38:55] are hearing in the press [38:56] that people are walking [38:58] away from that race. [38:59] And frankly, [38:59] would you give money [39:00] if you didn't think [39:01] that there was a chance? [39:02] But the vice president [39:03] should give you reassurance [39:04] that they've got a shot [39:05] in North Carolina. [39:06] That's what I would [39:07] take away from this. [39:08] I think that race [39:09] is going to be a lot closer too. [39:10] You look at the president's numbers [39:12] in North Carolina. [39:13] He's won it every time, [39:15] but it's been close. [39:17] And I think that's going to, [39:18] same thing's going to happen [39:18] in North Carolina. [39:20] You mentioned some of those, [39:21] we mentioned some of those [39:22] other states. [39:23] Texas, it's going to be [39:24] a bloodbath, my friends. [39:25] But look, I think that he's right [39:27] when he talks about the fact [39:28] that these guys are out there [39:29] making an all-out sprint, [39:31] whether it's Michigan, [39:32] Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Alaska, [39:35] they're doing everything they can. [39:37] I've been in politics 30 years. [39:38] I've never seen a president [39:40] from either party [39:41] do what he's doing. [39:42] The two of these guys [39:43] are out there [39:44] all over the country, [39:46] teletown halls, [39:47] raising money, [39:48] making visits. [39:49] This stuff shows you [39:51] how much they're out there [39:52] doing this. [39:53] But I got to tell you, [39:54] his message was important. [39:55] When I talked to him about [39:56] what his message [39:57] to the American people is [39:58] and how he brings up [40:00] TrumpRx and those Trump accounts, [40:02] that's important. [40:03] People need to hear that message [40:05] because they haven't heard it [40:06] in the mainstream media. [40:06] And if you watch this show [40:07] all the time, [40:08] you know I do. [40:09] Those are three issues, [40:10] the Maha issue, [40:12] the Trump accounts, [40:13] and the TrumpRx [40:13] that have a real impact [40:15] in people's lives [40:15] and made them better. [40:17] And I think the more [40:18] they can do to echo [40:18] those things in the homestretch, [40:21] it's a reminder [40:21] as to what has happened [40:23] in the only two years [40:24] of this administration [40:25] and why, frankly, [40:26] your life is better. [40:28] And so when you get asked [40:29] by people all the time, [40:31] what should I vote for? [40:32] Why does it matter? [40:33] Remind them of those three issues [40:35] in particular. [40:36] More money for people [40:38] who are living paycheck to paycheck [40:39] that are prescription drugs. [40:40] More money to children [40:42] who want to build [40:42] some kind of wealth. [40:43] And the vice president mentioned [40:44] some of the things you can do. [40:46] Imagine being 18, 19 years old [40:48] and having 50, 80 grand [40:50] to help pay for your education. [40:51] Maybe you want to start [40:52] a small business. [40:53] Maybe you want to buy a house. [40:54] But those Trump accounts [40:55] are going to create something [40:56] for the next generation of Americans [40:58] that nobody else has had. [41:00] They're going to have [41:00] some degree of wealth. [41:02] Maybe they want to just keep it [41:03] in the account and let it grow. [41:04] But the point is, [41:05] can you imagine growing up [41:06] to 18 or 21 years old [41:09] and having a nest egg [41:10] that you could make [41:11] some decisions with? [41:12] It's because of this administration. [41:14] I mentioned Maha. [41:15] The amount of transparency [41:16] that has come now [41:17] into our nutrition [41:18] and our food supply [41:19] because of them [41:20] is super important. [41:21] It's something that was big [41:22] in the 2024 election [41:24] and it's something [41:24] that these guys [41:25] can continue to hit on. [41:27] And I hope he continues to do it. [41:28] I didn't get into [41:29] too much of his diet [41:30] because we didn't have [41:31] that much time. [41:31] But I would love to get into [41:32] the whole sauerkraut [41:33] and ferment stuff. [41:34] But we'll save that [41:35] for another one. [41:36] I thought one of the things [41:37] that was really interesting to me, [41:38] and I've wrestled with this, [41:39] you guys know this, [41:40] and it was great to hear [41:41] the vice president address [41:42] his faith. [41:43] He rarely gets asked about it. [41:44] I know he did the story, [41:46] those interviews [41:46] when his book first came out. [41:48] But it's important for him [41:49] to talk about his conversion [41:51] and why he believes this. [41:52] And the insight [41:53] that you can get into somebody [41:54] I think is super important [41:57] to see beyond the policies [41:58] that they just say [41:59] in an interview. [42:00] So I hope you appreciated that. [42:02] I loved all the feedback [42:03] I got in the last 24, 48 hours. [42:05] People asking questions, right? [42:07] I think the question [42:08] about his future [42:08] was super important [42:09] and it's totally authentic [42:10] and genuine. [42:11] He means it. [42:12] I don't think he's focused [42:12] on his future. [42:15] But I think it's important [42:16] that he understands [42:17] that he needs to [42:17] because after that, [42:18] those November elections, [42:20] everybody is going [42:21] to start focusing on it. [42:22] The Democrats have already [42:23] got a conference out in Denver. [42:25] They're all headed there. [42:25] The Republicans need [42:26] to do the same. [42:27] Start thinking about it. [42:28] And he has this unbelievable [42:30] perch to do it from. [42:31] Now, look, [42:32] I'm going to tell you [42:32] where I came from [42:33] on the question [42:33] that I asked him at the end. [42:35] I don't think a coronation [42:36] is helpful for anybody. [42:38] I think going out there [42:39] and earning it, [42:40] going through the primary process, [42:42] selling yourself to voters [42:43] is super important. [42:44] I think and I hope [42:45] he agreed with me [42:46] because, look, [42:47] we saw what happened [42:48] with Biden and Kamala. [42:49] If you just coronate somebody, [42:50] people start to have [42:51] their feathers rustled. [42:52] They don't believe [42:53] that their voice [42:53] was part of the process. [42:54] They don't believe [42:55] that you earned it. [42:56] So I do believe [42:57] a primary process [42:58] makes the party nominee stronger. [43:00] And frankly, [43:01] you have to take a punch [43:02] here and there. [43:02] You have to answer [43:03] some criticism. [43:04] I hope that's what [43:05] we end up doing. [43:06] And the vice president [43:07] tells the president [43:08] that I appreciate [43:09] all the support [43:10] you've given me. [43:11] I want your endorsement, [43:12] but after I earn it [43:13] from grassroots supporters. [43:15] So we've got a ways to go. [43:16] We'll see what happens [43:17] right after the election. [43:18] But I think that's [43:19] the smartest thing to do. [43:20] Now, the last question [43:21] I asked him about Tucker [43:23] was probably the number one [43:24] thing that you gave me [43:25] feedback on. [43:25] I think it's important. [43:26] I believe that the [43:27] vice president's loyalty [43:29] to friends and family [43:31] and colleagues [43:31] is super important [43:32] in a town where everybody [43:33] knives each other [43:34] in the back. [43:35] I don't believe in it. [43:36] I don't think it's important. [43:37] I don't find that [43:38] that makes you a bigger thing [43:39] and a bigger person. [43:40] I agree with the vice president. [43:42] Calling things out [43:43] without making it personal [43:44] is what the media [43:45] wants us to do. [43:46] And I hope that [43:47] that satisfied a lot of you [43:48] that wanted me [43:49] to ask the question. [43:50] I think it's authentic [43:50] and genuine [43:51] the way he answered it. [43:52] He's got friends. [43:53] He doesn't agree [43:53] with all of them. [43:54] I've got the same. [43:55] I've faced this myself. [43:56] I know what it's like [43:57] for everybody to say, [43:58] you should critique this person. [44:00] You should critique that person. [44:01] And he was right [44:02] when he comes to the president. [44:03] Do you know how many [44:04] very fine hoaxes [44:05] have been dispelled [44:06] when the media [44:07] criticizes President Trump [44:08] and then we find out, [44:09] oh, that's not [44:10] entirely what happened. [44:11] That's not the context. [44:12] I don't like using the media [44:13] as the barometer [44:14] for right and wrong. [44:15] Anyway, [44:16] thank you guys for tuning in. [44:17] Thanks to the vice president [44:18] and to his staff [44:19] who were amazing [44:20] helping coordinate this [44:22] and all the logistical pieces [44:23] that go into a big thing. [44:25] A big shout out [44:25] to the staff [44:26] of the vice president [44:26] for an amazing job. [44:28] I hope you guys [44:28] have a great weekend. [44:29] Do me a favor. [44:30] Share the link to this episode [44:31] with as many people [44:32] as you want. [44:32] We'll see you next week. [44:33] We've got a great [44:34] Battleground 2026 [44:35] on tap Tuesday and Wednesday [44:37] as we head into [44:37] the final stretch. [44:38] We'll see you back here [44:39] on Monday [44:39] on The Sean Spicer Show. [44:41] Well, if you enjoyed [44:45] this content, [44:46] make sure you click [44:47] the link below [44:47] to find out more [44:49] or you can go to [44:49] seanspicershow.com [44:52] to stay up to date [44:52] on all my content.