Ben Shapiro, one of the most prominent conservative commentators aligned with Donald Trump, launched a public attack on Vice President JD Vance on Thursday. In an interview with Fox News, Shapiro said Vance’s handling of a major memorandum of understanding was a “disaster” and accused him of failing to deliver for the president. He added, “The vice president, the chief negotiator of this project, did not serve the president properly.”
Shapiro said the agreement did not meet any of the administration’s original goals, describing it as “an absolute disaster.” His criticism matters because he is regarded as one of the strongest defenders of Trump’s policies and a key indicator of sentiment inside the conservative base. By targeting Vance personally, Shapiro signaled that some Trump supporters believe the project has been badly managed.
The remarks came after the United States and Iran signed the memorandum overnight, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqai. Although there had been expectations of a formal signing ceremony in Switzerland, the document was apparently signed digitally. The 60-day negotiation phase will begin only after part of Iran’s frozen assets are released.
Earlier in the day, the White House published the full text of the 14-section memorandum between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, and for negotiations on a permanent agreement within 60 days. The deal also includes U.S. sanctions relief and broad economic concessions, along with an Iranian statement, again vague, that it will not develop nuclear weapons. The memorandum further contains, contrary to American denials, a reconstruction plan for Iran worth at least $300 billion.
