Vp Vance's Global Travels Are A Mix Of Diplomacy, Dealmaking, Soft Power And Family Time

When JD Vance was running for vice president, he walked across an airport tarmac in Wisconsin one August day when his campaign travels happened to intersect those of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and approached Air Force Two . Besides wanting to take a poke at Republican Donald Trump's rival for avoiding the press, Vance said, "I just wanted to check out my future plane."

It's an aircraft he now knows well.

In the opening months of Trump's term, Vice President Vance has traveled all over the globe - family in tow - to conduct top-level diplomacy for the administration, in addition to taking a number of domestic trips. His international forays have featured a mix of meetings with world leaders, sharply crafted speeches advancing U.S. policy, 'soft power" appearances to build goodwill and family time at tourist sites along the way.

Diplomacy before family and cultural sights

Vance's trips have included a five-day trip to Europe in February, a hastily reorganized trek to Greenland in March and a tour of Italy and India in April that was notable for the vice president's brief meeting with Pope Francis the day before the pontiff died.