Vance staffs VP office with his allies — and no Trump objections
Vice President JD Vance has earned a unique privilege inside the White House — free rein to hire whom he wants, with no interference from President Donald Trump or his top aides.
Vice President JD Vance has earned a unique privilege inside the White House — free rein to hire whom he wants, with no interference from President Donald Trump or his top aides.
The dynamic, as five people in or close to the administration explained it to NBC News, reflects the trust that the term-limited Trump has in Vance, his 40-year-old understudy who is widely expected to run for president himself in 2028.
All but two of the first 11 senior staffers Vance hired as vice president worked on his 2022 campaign for the Senate in Ohio, in his Senate office after he won that race or both.
“The Trump team is an A-team in every sense of the word,” Jai Chabria, Vance’s longest-serving political adviser, said in an interview. “They had every opportunity to push people around or shove people around. They didn’t. They decided to build a team with JD’s team ... and in the process, they got a loyal bunch that’s ready to go through the wall for the president.”
Jacob Reses, who was Vance’s chief of staff in the Senate, now holds that position in the vice president’s office. Bryan Gray, who held senior roles on Vance’s Senate campaign and staff, is in place as Reses’ deputy. Vance also installed his long-running communications team of William Martin, Luke Schroeder and Taylor Van Kirk in similar positions in his new office.
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