Rod Dreher declares his friendship with Vice President JD Vance over amid right-wing antisemitism concerns
Conservative author Rod Dreher says his ties with Vice President JD Vance have ended because Vance refuses to confront growing antisemitic and extremist currents on the right.
Rod Dreher, back from a stint in Hungary, announced that his long-standing rapport with Vice President JD Vance has dissolved, blaming Vance’s unwillingness to publicly denounce the surge of antisemitic rhetoric on the right. Dreher had once hailed Vance as the only politician capable of confronting extremist streamer Nick Fuentes and pointed to Vance’s mixed-heritage marriage as a sign of American diversity. Yet Vance’s speeches echo Trump’s anti-immigrant falsehoods, he defended Tucker Carlson’s interview with Fuentes, and he dismissed offensive Young Republican chat messages as mere jokes.
Dreher argues these actions reveal a lack of moral courage, labeling Vance a “Von Papen Conservative.” The fallout mirrors a wider clash within the GOP, with institutions like the Heritage Foundation also grappling with the Groypers’ growing sway.
Why it matters
It shows how internal disputes over extremist influence are reshaping the U.S. conservative establishment.
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