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| AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson |
People couldn't help but notice one conspicuous absence in the photos of President Trump monitoring the successful raid on Nicolás Maduro's compound from Mar-a-Lago.
Everyone expected Vice President JD Vance to appear alongside the president in this modern echo of the Obama Situation Room shot during the bin Laden operation. Even Joe Biden sat next to Barack Obama for that historic moment, yet Vance remained nowhere in sight, prompting questions about his whereabouts during this high-stakes event.
The explanation turns out to be straightforward and prudent. Security concerns drove the decision to keep Vance separated from Trump during the operation. Sources describe it as a designated survivor protocol of sorts, aimed at avoiding risks if both leaders gathered in one location outside the White House under tense conditions. Vance stayed fully engaged nonetheless.
A spokesperson laid it out clearly: "Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro's arrest.
"He joined several late night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation."
The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes. The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans. The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation. He returned to Cincinnati after the operation concluded.
Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House.”
This approach makes perfect sense for an administration prioritizing operational security and continuity of government. Critics might try to spin Vance's absence as some kind of snub, but the facts point to basic caution during a daring overseas mission. In the end, the raid succeeded flawlessly, Maduro now faces justice in New York, and the Trump team demonstrated once again that it plays to win without unnecessary risks.
The explanation turns out to be straightforward and prudent. Security concerns drove the decision to keep Vance separated from Trump during the operation. Sources describe it as a designated survivor protocol of sorts, aimed at avoiding risks if both leaders gathered in one location outside the White House under tense conditions. Vance stayed fully engaged nonetheless.
A spokesperson laid it out clearly: "Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro's arrest.
"He joined several late night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation."
The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes. The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans. The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation. He returned to Cincinnati after the operation concluded.
Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House.”
This approach makes perfect sense for an administration prioritizing operational security and continuity of government. Critics might try to spin Vance's absence as some kind of snub, but the facts point to basic caution during a daring overseas mission. In the end, the raid succeeded flawlessly, Maduro now faces justice in New York, and the Trump team demonstrated once again that it plays to win without unnecessary risks.
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