期中選舉慘敗後，范斯試圖打造自己的2028年政治品牌

雅各・博蓋奇（Jacob Bogage）報導By Jacob Bogage

華盛頓，11月7日（路透社）——副總統JD・范斯在密集奔走、試圖挽救共和黨期中選舉選情的後期，改變了策略。他較少談論總統唐納・川普（Donald Trump），更多談論界定他自己政治身分的議題。WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Late in his blitz to salvage Republicans' midterm fortunes, Vice President JD Vance shifted strategy. He talked less about President Donald Trump and more about the issues that define his own political identity.

路透社檢視自9月共和黨全國代表大會以來的6場演說後發現，范斯幾乎完全從自己政策職掌的角度，為在週二投票中失去國會控制權的共和黨辯護。Vance argued the case for Republicans, who lost control of Congress in Tuesday’s vote, almost exclusively through the lens of his policy portfolio, according to a Reuters review of half a dozen speeches since the Republican convention in September.

民調顯示，總統人氣下滑拖累共和黨公職候選人之際，他避談川普的招牌政策，包括伊朗戰爭與驅逐出境。He bypassed Trump's signature policies including the Iran war and deportations as polls showed the president's sagging popularity dragging down Republican office-seekers.

兩名熟悉這項策略的人士表示，這項轉變是有意為之。這些人士說，范斯與他的顧問認為，他所主張的議題——經濟民族主義、外交政策克制與公共安全——在政治上具有威力，且是他能以權威姿態談論的主題。雖然川普將這些議題納入他的「讓美國再次偉大」（MAGA）運動，范斯已成為這些議題的主要倡議者。The change was deliberate, according to two people familiar with the strategy. Vance and his advisers saw the issues he championed — economic nationalism, foreign policy restraint, and public safety — as politically potent subjects he could address with authority. While Trump embraced them as part of his MAGA movement, Vance had emerged as their lead crusader, the people said.

這項轉變讓外界初步一窺，在共和黨開始放眼後川普時代之際，這位42歲副總統可能如何走出自己的路。The shift offered an early glimpse of how the 42-year-old vice president could chart his own course as Republicans begin looking beyond Trump.

范斯尚未表示是否會在2028年參選總統，川普也尚未表態支持他或其他任何人。但范斯被視為主要潛在競爭者，一些共和黨官員說，他必須承接川普聯盟的大部分力量，同時與其上司的包袱切割。Vance hasn’t said whether he will run for president in 2028, and Trump hasn’t endorsed him or anyone else. But Vance is viewed as a leading potential contender who some Republican officials say will need to inherit much of Trump’s coalition while separating himself from his boss's baggage.

週三，范斯以一篇異常直白的選後檢討，更公開地強化自己的政治品牌。他在社群媒體貼文中，將共和黨期中選舉敗選歸咎於伊朗戰爭，並提出協助共和黨重振聲勢的政策主張。Vance took a more public step on Wednesday toward reinforcing his own political brand with an unusually blunt election postmortem. In a social media post, he blamed the Iran war for Republicans’ midterm defeat and laid out a platform for a Republican rebound.

他呼籲迅速結束衝突，並敦促共和黨聚焦負擔能力問題、重新評估對外關係，以及徹底調整美國與以色列的關係。He called for a swift end to the conflict and urged Republicans to focus on affordability, reevaluate foreign relations and overhaul the US relationship with Israel.

川普曾稱美國人對負擔能力的憂慮是民主黨的「騙局」。在以色列總理班傑明·納坦尼雅胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）持續遊說後，他對伊朗發動戰爭。川普後來又在以色列選舉中表態支持納坦雅胡。Trump has called Americans’ affordability concerns a Democratic “hoax.” He launched a war against Iran following sustained lobbying from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump went on to endorse Netanyahu in the Israeli election.

范斯公開表明對戰爭不安VANCE MAKES UNEASE AT THE WAR PUBLIC

這篇貼文讓范斯首次公開站在結束戰爭的一方。The post for the first time put Vance openly on the side of ending the war.

3名熟悉白宮與范斯溝通情況的人士告訴路透社，副總統並未與川普決裂，並表示白宮幕僚長蘇西·威爾斯（Susie Wiles）事先知道范斯這篇貼文。Three people familiar with the White House and Vance's communications told Reuters that the vice president was not breaking with Trump and said White House chief of staff Susie Wiles knew in advance about Vance's post.

週五，川普重整白宮高層人事，以史蒂芬・米勒（Stephen Miller）取代懷爾斯，此舉顯示白宮計畫加倍推行川普部分更為強硬的政策。On Friday, Trump reshuffled senior White House leadership, replacing Wiles with Stephen Miller in a move that suggests the White House plans to double down on some of Trump’s more hardline policies.

川普已承認，由於伊朗戰爭導致油價高漲，這場戰爭在共和黨慘敗中扮演了一定角色，但他仍持續為此辯護。他週三告訴記者：「我不會有任何不同做法。」Trump has acknowledged the Iran war played a role in the Republican rout because of the resulting high gas prices but has continued to defend it. "I would have done nothing different," he told reporters on Wednesday.

路透社無法確定川普是否事先知道這篇貼文。Reuters could not determine whether Trump was aware of the post in advance.

總統長子小唐納・川普（Donald Trump Jr.）與一些保守派盟友在社群媒體上支持范斯的發言。Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, endorsed Vance's remarks on social media, along with some conservative allies.

共和黨策略師、前眾議院議長約翰・貝納（John Boehner）與保羅・萊恩（Paul Ryan）的前顧問麥可・里奇（Michael Ricci）說，這場對話進一步抬高了范斯作為後川普時代保守派旗手的潛在地位。The dialogue further elevated Vance as a potential post-Trump conservative standard-bearer, said Michael Ricci, a Republican strategist and former adviser to House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

利用副總統職位擴大政治影響力USING THE MEGAPHONE OF THE VICE PRESIDENCY

他說，范斯的訊息迫使保守派辯論這場戰爭的利弊，也更廣泛地討論共和黨總統候選人在2028年應秉持哪些核心理念。He said Vance’s message forced conservatives to debate the merits of the war, and more broadly, what core tenets Republican presidential candidates should embrace in 2028.

里奇說：「說這只是他在尋找與川普區隔的方法，太過簡化了。這是他利用副總統職位帶來的影響力，主導討論方向。」"It’s simplistic to say this about him looking for ways to differentiate himself from Trump," Ricci said. "This is about him using his megaphone of the vice presidency to set the terms of debate."

范斯的代表拒絕評論。白宮代表請路透社參考川普週三的談話，當時川普告訴記者，他理解范斯對選舉結果的看法。Representatives for Vance declined to comment. White House representatives referred Reuters to Trump's comments on Wednesday, when he told reporters he understood Vance's perspective on the election results.

民主黨人準備在2028年把范斯——或任何共和黨提名人——與川普綁在一起，尤其是在川普若對保守派潛在人選的篩選扮演重大角色的情況下。Democrats are poised to tie Vance – or any Republican nominee – to Trump in 2028, especially if Trump plays a large role in vetting conservative hopefuls.

民主黨策略師伊戈爾・沃爾斯基（Igor Volsky）說：「真正的挑戰在於，你要如何定位自己，既能在總統大選中具有勝選機會，又能贏得一場仍須向川普表態效忠的黨內初選。」"There’s a real challenge of how you position yourself to be viable in a general election while winning a primary that still requires you to bow down and kiss the ring,” said Igor Volsky, a Democratic strategist.

范斯的政治形象也在期中選舉後受到衝擊。他造勢過的州，共和黨都輸了。他所支持的一些策略——包括俄亥俄州州長候選人維維克·拉馬斯瓦米（Vivek Ramaswamy）的一支廣告，質疑獲勝的民主黨候選人艾美・艾克頓（Amy Acton）所遭受的性侵害——可能讓選情轉向不利共和黨。Vance’s brand did not emerge from the midterms unscathed. Republicans lost in states where he campaigned. Some of the strategies he endorsed – including an ad by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that cast doubt on the sexual abuse suffered by the victorious Democratic candidate, Amy Acton – may have swung races away from Republicans.

其他可能的2028年總統競爭者也對期中選舉敗因提出診斷。德州聯邦參議員泰德・克魯茲（Ted Cruz）說，共和黨在負擔能力問題上做得不夠。佛羅里達州州長榮・迪尚特（Ron DeSantis）說，敗選候選人過度聚焦跨性別議題，卻忽視選民對資料中心與人工智慧的關切。國務卿馬可・盧比歐（Marco Rubio）則保持沉默。Other possible 2028 presidential contenders have offered their diagnoses of the midterm defeat. US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said Republicans hadn't done enough on affordability. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said losing candidates had focused too heavily on transgender issues and neglected voter concerns about data centers and artificial intelligence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stayed silent.

范斯試圖形塑這場辯論的努力，在選戰最後幾天清楚可見。Vance's effort to shape the debate was visible during the closing days of the campaign.

在競選演說中，他告訴選民支持共和黨，因為共和黨將調查聯邦醫療保健與反貧窮計畫中的詐欺，並把這點與白宮的移民議程和生活成本連結起來。他幾乎完全避談伊朗戰爭與油價，也很少提到川普的名字。In stump speeches, he told voters to support Republicans because they would investigate fraud in federal health care and antipoverty programs, tying that to the White House's immigration agenda and cost of living. He almost entirely ignored the Iran war and gas prices, and seldom mentioned Trump by name.

范斯在北卡羅來納州最後幾場造勢活動之一中說：「我希望我的孩子在一個有活力、繁榮、自由且富足的國家成家立業。我想要的是很簡單的事。而因為我希望自己擁有這些，我也希望你們能擁有。」“I want my kids to raise a family in a country that is vibrant and thriving and free and prosperous. I want the simple things,” Vance told one of his final rallies in North Carolina. “And because I want that for me, I want it for you too.”

（雅各・博蓋奇報導；艾琳・班科補充報導；柯琳・詹金斯與蘇珊・戈登伯格編輯）(Reporting by Jacob Bogage; additional reporting by Erin Banco; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Suzanne Goldenberg)