# Donald Trump — "if it doesn't work out, I'm blaming J.D." > [!quote] "I like that idea…. This way, if it works out, I'm gonna take the credit; if it doesn't work out, I'm blaming J.D. You better be careful, J.D. He's gonna turn his plane around and get the hell outta here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think that's a good idea." > — Donald Trump, press remarks at the G7, France, June 17, 2026 ## Context Asked by a reporter why he wouldn't "stick around for the signing ceremony" of the [[Trump-Iran MOU 2026]], Trump mused about sending Vice President J.D. Vance instead. When the reporter suggested Vance could be the fall guy if the deal failed, Trump endorsed the idea on the spot. Hours later, after this exchange, Trump signed the MOU himself at Versailles. ## Why This Matters The remark is a candid receipt of credit-claiming and blame-shifting as governing style: a president openly structuring a major foreign agreement around who absorbs the political downside. It also underscores how little Trump wished to be personally identified with a deal his own party was already attacking. ## See Also - [[Trump-Iran MOU 2026]] - [[Iran War 2026]] - [[Donald Trump]]