Sid Rosenberg said he “charmed” Vice President JD Vance at the White House Thursday during a nearly half-hour discussion aimed at mending fences with Jewish conservatives. Rosenberg, a longtime political commentator and critic of Vance, spent time with President Trump in the Oval Office and later told 77 WABC’s “Cats & Cosby” that he and Vance “hit it off.”
“I think I charmed him more,” Rosenberg joked on X. “I did most of the talking, and he spent most of the time laughing.”
The White House Visit
Politico reported that Rosenberg told them ahead of the meeting that he intended to press Vance on his ties to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and on American assistance to Israel. He added that Vance had requested the meeting himself.
A wide range of subjects were touched upon during the conversation, with Rosenberg noting that he and Vance had “hit it off”, and that he anticipated “many, many more meetings about very substantial things in the very near future.”.
The Vegas Criticism
Rosenberg posted on X after the meeting, criticizing Vance’s remarks at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership summit in Las Vegas earlier this month. He wrote: “My honest assessment of Vice President Vance tonight? He was not strong enough on Israel. In fact, he referred to Israel as ONE of our best allies. One of?”
He also said Vance, “blamed immigration for a lot of the antisemitism in our country today,” calling that “Silly. Look, he’s still better than any Democrat candidate but I don’t think he wowed the STRONG Jews in the room tonight.”. He added: “He had a chance to hammer @TuckerCarlson and @megynkelly but instead spent all his time defending @joerogan over Nick Fuentes.”.
The Jewish Vote Problem
A New York source tapped into the Jewish community’s concerns said the general feeling is JD is going to be the nominee in 2028, and he’s got a couple of loose ends to tie up, with the conservative Jewish vote probably topping the list.
Donors and influential leaders cite several concerns about Vance, among them his remarks suggesting a split between the U.S. and Israel and his relationship with Carlson. “Sid would be a logical person to call in to try to help figure this out,” is how the source described it.
Rosenberg has suggested Vance may need to disavow Carlson to allay Jewish Republicans’ concerns, given the podcaster’s denunciations of the U.S.-Israel alliance. The concerns rank in this order:
- U.S.-Israel relations, with Vance’s remarks suggesting a split between the two nations.
- Vance’s relationship with Tucker Carlson, including his decision to feature Holocaust-denying, anti-Semitic livestreamer Nick Fuentes in an episode of his podcast.
- Immigration blamed for antisemitism in the country today.
Conservatives at the Heritage Foundation were roiled last year by Carlson’s decision to feature Holocaust-denying, anti-Semitic livestreamer Nick Fuentes in an episode of his podcast.
The Aftermath
Thursday’s WABC interview saw Rosenberg stress again that he felt closest to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he viewed as a preferable GOP presidential candidate in 2028, while also noting Vance was someone he and other Jewish Republicans could “work with.”.
Rosenberg said “I leave this meeting today, one of many between me and the vice president, I guarantee it, and I leave this meeting today feeling like I can work with this guy. We can work with this guy, and he is willing to listen and he’s aware, and I don’t think by any stretch that JD Vance hates Israel,” which is a direct quote.
Officials with the vice president’s office did not answer when asked for a statement.
The Loose Ends
Rosenberg’s path forward involves addressing two core issues:
| Issue | Status |
|---|---|
| U.S.-Israel relations | Needs strengthening, per Rosenberg’s assessment |
| Tucker Carlson relationship | May require disavowal, according to Rosenberg |
The meeting was not a one-off. Rosenberg expects many more. “We can work with this guy,” he said.
A man who believes he has discovered a partner is the subject of this interpretation. It remains to be determined whether Vance shares that view.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs diplomacy and the deal over the standoff, and is against foreign entanglements and trade wars alike, so it backs neither side here and offers no position on the specific ties or assistance discussed. Rosenberg’s visit to the White House was an attempt to bridge differences between a Jewish critic and a sitting vice president, and the paper does not take a stand on the substance of those differences. What matters is that the channels remain open for dialogue, however uncomfortable the conversation may be.
The story shows the mechanics of political persuasion in action: a longtime commentator with a following uses a face-to-face meeting to make his case directly, and both sides emerge claiming progress. That is the kind of negotiation the paper favors over confrontation.
The Jewish vote is the loose end that Vance needs to tie up, and Rosenberg’s criticism of Vance’s remarks in Las Vegas is part of that calculation. Rosenberg’s public rebuke of Vance’s language on Israel and his comments on immigration show the stakes clearly. The paper will continue to follow how this plays out, because the conservative Jewish vote could determine the outcome of the 2028 race.
Source material: “Sid Rosenberg ‘charmed’ Vance at White House meeting to mend fences with Jewish conservatives,” the New York Post.
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