United States Vice President JD Vance made a series of high-profile statements during recent interviews, defending personnel decisions, addressing national security threats, and praising internal reforms under the Trump administration.

Vance dismissed claims that Mike Waltz’s reassignment from National Security Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations was linked to a March Signal chat leak. “What President Trump thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration in the UN role,” Vance said, adding that the reassignment was not a firing. “If [Trump] wanted to fire him over the Signal thing, which, by the way, was a total nothingburger of a story, he would've just done it.” Vance also confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s position is secure.

Turning to global affairs, Vance said the U.S. is in a “good place” to deter continued attacks from the Houthi rebels on civilian shipping vessels. “We are already seeing signs that the Houthis are saying ‘no mas,’” he said, citing recent U.S. bombings and strong retaliatory messaging. Vance emphasized that one of President Trump’s core national security goals is to ensure cargo reaches the U.S. without loss of life or damage to ships, a goal he said the administration will pursue “forcefully if we have to.”

On Ukraine, Vance struck a somber tone, saying the war “is not going to end any time soon.” He indicated that peace will depend on whether Russia and Ukraine can agree on terms now that each side understands the other’s positions. “Are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way?” he questioned.

Vance also commented on domestic reforms, especially praising Elon Musk's work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “He's not going to disappear… he’s just not going to be in Washington every single day because he has a day job,” Vance said. He highlighted DOGE’s success in cutting waste and fraud, estimating the initiative may have saved American taxpayers “hundreds of billions and maybe more.”

Vance’s wide-ranging remarks reflect the administration’s ongoing efforts to project strength on the world stage while pushing internal efficiency and accountability within federal operations.