JD Vance Announces Venezuela Oil Deal at White House Briefing

Vice President JD Vance held a White House press briefing on September 3, 2026, marking the first official session since July 23 and the first since the departure of press secretary Karoline Leavitt in August. During the briefing, Vance announced a new oil deal with Venezuela intended to create a 65 billion barrel oil reserve for the United States. He characterized the agreement as a "win-win" and criticized the previous Biden administration for depleting petroleum reserves to lower gas prices before midterms.

On international security, Vance stated that Turkey, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are assisting the U.S. in penalizing Iran for firing at commercial shipping. He argued these measures deny Iran the economic resources needed to rebuild its nuclear program and suggested that China is willing to cooperate in isolating Iran.

White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the administration's current communication strategy, which relies on a rotation of high-ranking officials and cabinet members rather than a permanent press secretary. Kelly noted that President Donald Trump serves as his own best spokesperson.