JD Vance: Trump's global 'bad cop'

US Vice President JD Vance gestures during a press conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2025. [AFP]

JD Vance has taken the historically thankless job of US vice president by the scruff of the neck, carving out a role as the Trump administration's global attack dog in its first 100 days.

Whereas some of his predecessors have waited out their time a heartbeat away from the presidency, the ambitious 40-year-old has not been afraid to insert himself into world events.