The simmering Republican 2028 rivalry that threatens to go nuclear... find out WHY in this week's free DC Insider newsletter

By CHARLIE SPIERING, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 23:13, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 23:13, 24 June 2026 President Donald Trump’s fragile Iran nuclear deal is already opening up a new battle line inside the Republican Party - and giving his would-be 2028 heirs a chance to position themselves to benefit politically. Vice President JD Vance has emerged as the agreement's chief salesman, openly taunting one of his potential rivals Senator Ted Cruz after the Texan raised concerns. Cruz, for his part did not take the bait, choosing instead to focus on principled criticism of the pact rather than turn it into a personal war with Vance or Trump. But, behind the scenes, few critics of the Vice President's handling of negotiations expect the resulting proposal to succeed, and are waiting for it to blow up in his face. Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz emerged as a sharp critic of the Iran nuclear deal  Many were also angered and alarmed over Vance’s public scolding of Israeli officials for trashing the deal, believing that he had gone too far.  Last week, as the Vice President took the stage to hammer out the delicate details of the agreement, some Senate Republicans were privately rolling their eyes and ridiculing his naive approach to Iran as ‘worse than Obama,’ sources tell the Daily Mail. We talk to both sides as the old Republican guard clashes with the new, revealing what Trump really thinks of Vance’s effort to sell the deal - and what it all means for the already simmering 2028 presidential race. To read the full story, sign up for this week’s DC Insider newsletter HERE.  DC Insider is your sharp, witty and well-connected guide to the people, plots and power plays shaping the capital. Delivered to your inbox every Thursday afternoon, it is packed with exclusive reporting, insider gossip, behind-the-scenes color and the stories everyone in politics is really talking about. Want more of the Daily Mail’s unrivaled US political journalism from our best Washington correspondents and investigative reporters?  Stay one step ahead by becoming a DC Insider now - and unlock 3 FREE months of DailyMail+ subscriber-only content. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.