Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 23, 2025

VP Pool Report #1: Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Vice President JD Vance's motorcade is en route to his first stop of the day, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The motorcade departed the RON at 9:31 am.

The VP and Usha Vance are expected to take a brief tour of the church before attending a private mass.

Afterward, Vance is expected to attend briefings at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv. Following those briefings, he will depart for the airport. We are expected to be wheels up in the early afternoon local time.

Visuals from the VP's trip to Israel can be accessed here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/pwhs5kztv1njt31yhscwe/AGCVpsbwsibZ4qZWQ25YoBs?rlkey=o0xzolk01hc91brq2ttz39dsz&st=ar2p2atb&dl=0

VP Pool Report #2: church tour, confession & mass

VP JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at 9:39 am local time.

The visited all the main stops inside -- starting with the Stone of Anointing, then Golgotha and then the Holy Sepulchre plus a few others -- before proceeding into confession and a private mass.

Most of the conversation was inaudible along the tour, and pool was hustling from place to place (including an all-out sprint through the Old City to witness Vance enter the church) but here are a few highlights:

As he was greeted by a set of bishops in black robes at the entrance with Usha, he shook their hands and told them, "Thank you so much."

When he reached the Stone, a bishop put out a red pillow for him to kneel on. Vance kneeled and did a sign of the cross with his right hand while bowing his head. He then put his hand on the slab in silent prayer.

Usha, who is not a practicing Catholic, held back for that part.

Upstairs, the Vances each lit a candle.

Downstairs, they also lit candles at a flame that a bishop at the church told me is transferred by candle from the tomb to that spot each day. Visitors to the church are then able to light candles from the flame, so the light carries from the tomb to the flame to their candles.

After the Vances proceeded to the tomb, the bishop told me he was lighting two white candles that he had in his hands from the flame to send back to the White House.

"We are sending these lights to the White House. May God bless America, the United States and Armenia and our friendship," the bishop, who said he was the superior of Armenian side of the church.

As the Vances walked out of the tomb, they paused to pose for photos, and the VP told a bishop, "You guys have been protecting me from bumping my head. You could join the Secret Service."

The Vances departed the church at roughly 11:02 am local top.

Motorcade is rolling now to the military briefings.

VP Pool Report #3: military briefings

Vance's motorcade arrived at the facility where he is receiving his military briefing at roughly 12pm. Press hasn't seen him since the church tour and does not expect to until we arrive at Ben Gurion airport for departure.

VP Vance Pool Report #4: Tel Aviv airport

VP Vance's motorcade left the military facility at 1:21 pm local time. It arrived at the Tel Aviv airport at 1:39pm.

Unclear if the VP will speak to press about the trip before he boards AF2.

VP Vance Pool Report #5: gaggle

VP Vance gaggled under the wing of AF2 before departing from Tel Aviv.

He took questions for about 4 minutes on the progress he feels was made on the ISF, Hamas, Jen Psaki's comment about his wife and the West Bank annexation vote.

We will be wheels up any minute, I may not be able to send quotes, so here is audio:

https://www.rev.com/app/file/NjhmOTMyOWQwMDYyM2YwMWI2NTRlMzI1LU1QdnNNX25zWjJ1

VP Pool Report #6 resending gaggle audio

There was an issue with the earlier audio, resending as an attachment. The gaggle also aired live, I'm told. Sincere apologies and thank you to those who flagged.

VP Pool Report #7: tarmac gaggle quotes

The VP's plane was wheels up for Shannon, Ireland, where AF2 has a refueling stop, less than five minutes after he boarded the plane, at 12:06 pm.

The gaggle played out live -- and hopefully your received the corrected audio. The spray lasted nine minutes, not four, as an earlier pool report stated.

Some notable quotes:

Vance said the "whole purpose" of his trip to Israel was to "try to understand how to make the peace stick, how to move on to phase two successfully, and a big part of that is just understanding what would be necessary to police and secure Gaza."

He said they made progress on "what the composition" of the international security force would be and "what would be necessary for it to actually be effective." He did not say which countries would be involved.

Asked if Netanyahu ruled out troops from any one country such as Turkey, he said: "I wouldn't say that he ruled it out, he obviously has strong views on some counties, negative, and strong views on other countries, positive."

He said of the ceasefire that there would be "little breakouts of violence" from time to time. "Our message to the Israelis has been: help us build this peace."

On Jen Psaki's comments about his wife, he said, "I think it's disgraceful."

"I'm very lucky to have a wonderful wife, and I know, at least, I hope, my wife feels the same about me ... I'm very lucky to go on this journey with a very loving wife."

Asked about the West Bank vote in Israel during his trip, he said: "If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel."

Of note: internet was spotty, and often nonexistent, throughout the four-day journey, including at the Tel Aviv airport, and the pool has had difficulty sending audio and video. Thank you for bearing with us as we work to share all our material.

VP Pool Report #8: wheels down in Shannon

AF2 was wheels down in Shannon, Ireland, for a refuel stop at 6:16 pm local time.

No in flight updates to share.

VP Pool Report #9: JBA

AF2 departed from the Shannon airport at 7:47pm local time; the aircraft touched down in Washington at 10:20 local time.

No visitors to the press cabin or significant updates to share -- but I did want to mention one tidbit from this morning in Jerusalem:

When the VP and second lady entered the Old City, they did so via the Jaffa Gate, where a security checkpoint was set up. For those familiar with the layout, the shops on Daniel Street and Christian Quarter Road were closed during their visit.

VP Pool Report #10: M2 departure

VP Vance and second lady Usha Vance deplaned at 10:30 pm EDT from AF2. They were met by military greeters on the tarmac whose information we don't have.

With that, the Vance travel pool bids you goodnight. Thanks for your patience this week during the VP's quick-moving visit to Israel.