Vance says Trump 'has the legal authority' to deploy Guard, and other interview takeaways

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance says he likes the way Donald Trump has redecorated the White House, but he's not measuring the drapes in the Oval Office.

At least not yet.

The expected 2028 presidential candidate says he and his wife, Usha, are focused on the job he has right now. "And if that door opens later on, we'll figure it out then."

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY he recalled setting foot in the Oval Office for the first time in January.

"It was an amazing thing. I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the office, all of the incredible history that had been made," Vance said. "But if I was being honest, it was the middle winter, the drapes were closed. It was very dark. It had kind of a dark and gloomy feeling. This is the workplace of the leader of the free world. It should be a little brighter. I like what the president has done to it."

Vance sat down with USA TODAY Aug. 27 as the Trump administration crosses the seven-month mark to discuss his whirlwind opening act. Trump's term has featured an aggressive display of executive power and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, with Vance sometimes at the center.

Watch the full interview of USA TODAY's exclusive with JD Vance here:

He said his Oval Office blow up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "elucidated" some issues for the American people, although it's "not necessarily" how he wanted the meeting to go.

Vance defended Trump’s push to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, denied the president has an enemies list and said the administration doesn’t want to deploy the Guard in cities “indefinitely.”

He also commented on Trump’s “distinctive style” of decorating the White House and − in a nod to conspiracy theories − warned the NFL not to favor the Kansas City Chiefs now that one of their star players is engaged to Taylor Swift.

One of the youngest vice presidents in American history, Vance, 41, said his current role has prepared him to assume the nation’s highest office, even as he touted Trump's "incredibly good health" and said he expects the president to serve a full term.

“God forbid there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days,” Vance said during the interview in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Trump said earlier this month that Vance is the most likely heir to his MAGA movement, but Vance continued to brush off speculation about his 2028 plans.

Here are key takeaways from Vance's interview.

Guard won’t be deployed ‘indefinitely’

Trump’s use of the National Guard in Washington, DC and Los Angeles has led to some Democrats calling him an authoritarian. Vance predicted further deployments could bring similar criticism, while implying the administration is hearing a different reaction in private.

“These people, mayors or local governors stand up and say, ‘We don't want the National Guard. This is a dictatorship. Trump is a fascist.’ Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” Vance said.

"We don't want people to stand up before a press conference and accuse the president of being a fascist, accuse the National Guard of being part of some dictatorial coup when in private they're actually thanking us for bringing law and order back to these communities," he added.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump’s actions in the city "unsettling and unprecedented," while also indicating she will cooperate with federal authorities.

Trump has threatened to send the Guard into Chicago and other cities, prompting strong pushback from Democratic leaders. The president has broad authority over DC, but federal law restrits his ability to unilaterally deploy the Guard to other areas.

Vance said he believes Trump “has the legal authority to deploy the National Guard to fight crime," in other cities but said that the administration wants to work with local leaders.

"What the president has said is, if these local mayors and if the local governors want help, he is more than willing to provide it," Vance said. "I think that he could provide it even without their request. But fundamentally, the president, I think right now what he said is: We want to work together with these localities."

The vice president also said Guard deployments will have a time limit.

“We don't want indefinitely to put national guardsmen on the streets of our cities,” he said. “We just want to make those streets more safe.”

Jeffrey Epstein's case files

The vice president disputed that calling out the Guard is an effort to distract from the furor surrounding the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

"You don't have to do one of these things or the other. So I don't think that it's a distraction, especially when I think the president has ordered the administration to be more transparent about this than any other issue," Vance said.

The administration's refusal to release certain documents related to Epstein — a wealthy convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges — has generated intense criticism, including from Trump's MAGA base.

The Justice Department released a July 7 memo stating "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted," but it is now turning over records under congressional subpoena. DOJ also said that a systematic review of the files "revealed no incriminating 'client list.'"

In a podcast last October, a few weeks before the presidential election, Vance said, "We need to release the Epstein list, that is an important thing.”

In the USA TODAY interview, Vance said he's "certainly aware that there are folks, even some of our own supporters who have criticized the response of the president."

But he argued, "If you look at this in full and you give this the proper amount of time, what you're going to find is that the administration has been far more open and transparent about this issue."

No Trump enemies list

Trump's tendency to push the limits of presidential power has recently targeted the Federal Reserve, where he is seeking to remove Governor Lisa Cook.

Vance took issue with those who say the president lacks the legal authority to remove members of the independent board.

“Isn't it a little preposterous to say that the president of the United States – the elected president of the United States, working of course in concert with Congress − doesn't have the ability to make these determinations?” Vance said. “I don't think that we allow bureaucrats to sit from on high and make decisions about monetary policy and interest rates without any input from the people that were elected to serve the American people.”

Cook is the latest in a long list of Trump opponents who have been targeted or under some form of investigation by the administration.

Last week prominent Trump critic and former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s home was searched by the FBI. This week Trump wrote on social media that George Soros, a prominent liberal donor, should face criminal charges in a post that also warned Soros’ friends: “Be careful, we’re watching you!”

Vance said "facts and the law" are driving those decisions. Asked if Trump has an enemies list, he said, "Not at all."

Blow up with Zelenskyy “not necessarily” what Vance wanted

Vance has brought an edge to the vice presidency, delivering a fiery speech castigating European leaders and tangling with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

The vice president told Zelenskyy during the February fight that he was being "disrespectful" to Trump and should be thanking the U.S. for helping his country defend itself against Russia.

Vance's argument with Zelenskyy — that Trump got in on — ricocheted around the globe.

In his interview with USA TODAY, Vance expressed a measure of regret about how it played out. “Do I wish that we had had a blowup in the Oval Office in public? Not necessarily,” Vance said.

Yet, he said he believes it served a purpose.

“Do I think that it actually elucidated some of the real issues of disagreement between the United States side and the Ukrainian side? Yes, and I think that was useful for the American people to see, and I think we'll continue to have these conversations,” he said.

Vance added that the administration is "pretty aligned" with Zelenskyy on its goal of securing peace, despite some disagreements.

“We of course want to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity,” he said. “We don't want Russia to conquer the entire country.”

Trump has pushed the idea of a "land swap" that would see Ukraine give up Russian-occupied territory as part of a deal to end the war.

‘I’m a romantic’: Warm wishes for Taylor Swift, warning for NFL

Among Trump’s targets for criticism in the past has been Taylor Swift, who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. But after Trump congratulated the pop star on her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce at a Cabinet meeting Vance also wished the pair well.

“I'm a romantic," Vance said in the interview. "When I see two people who are in love getting married, I just wish them the best, and I congratulate 'em, and I hope they have a very long and healthy and happy life together."

But the Cincinnati Bengals fan said he does not want to see "a Super Bowl wedding thing this season."

Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, Bailey Schulz, Michael Collins