### Jake Tapper Laughs at JD Vance's Remark about Pence and Trump

CNN anchor Jake Tapper found it difficult to maintain his composure when JD Vance asserted that Mike Pence's recent divergence from Donald Trump stemmed from Pence's unsuccessful attempts to "control" the former president. According to Vance, the rift between Trump and his ex-vice president wasn't about the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, but rather Pence's inability to manage Trump—a claim that drew immediate skepticism from Tapper.

Vance explained his position by suggesting that many people in office believed they could guide Trump's decisions, particularly in regard to achieving peace. "All of these people, Jake, came into office thinking that they could control Donald Trump. That when he said he wanted peace in the world…" Vance began, only to be quickly interrupted by Tapper questioning the plausibility of Pence ever thinking he could control Trump.

Tapper couldn't help but laugh at the claim, incredulously asking, "Really?" The discussion then delved into the reasons for former Trump officials speaking out against him, with Vance insisting that it was due to differences in foreign policy, not personality issues. Tapper pressed further, questioning Vance's assertion that such policy disagreements were the sole reason for criticism, including from Pence.

Vance remained firm, defending Trump's foreign policy stance as being misunderstood. He also countered allegations made by Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, John Kelly, who recently labeled Trump a fascist and accused him of praising Adolf Hitler. According to Vance, the root of the discord was policy-related, not personal, specifically pointing to disagreements with Trump's approach of "peace through strength."

Tapper noted that even John Kelly, though highly critical of Trump's personality, has often agreed with the former president on policy issues. Vance dismissed this, sticking to his narrative that Kelly's opposition was fundamentally about policy disagreements. Vance further reiterated this point in an NBC interview with Kristen Welker, calling Kelly a "disgruntled ex-employee" who did not appreciate Trump's foreign policy.

In summary, Vance's attempts to defend Trump and characterize Pence's break from him as a matter of unfulfilled control rather than the events of January 6 received a skeptical, even humorous, reception from Jake Tapper, who openly questioned the logic behind Vance's claims.