Senior U.S. officials collectively deployed abroad; Vance, left in charge at the White House, announced a new initiative.

Rubio is a quintessential Republican hawk—unyieldingly tough on Iran, closely following Trump’s lead on every issue, and deeply trusted by Trump himself; even the Republican establishment has begun to take him seriously. Vance, by contrast, is fundamentally a 'pragmatic conservative': he shows little enthusiasm for overseas military adventures and prioritizes domestic workers and manufacturing instead; he has long been uninterested in transnational capital or bloated defense spending. This 'non-committal stance toward hawkishness' has prompted growing skepticism among conservatives about whether Vance can be relied upon in critical moments—criticism of him is mounting, and his status as a potential 'successor' is increasingly precarious. Trump’s attitude toward the two men reflects his characteristic 'old-fox' political calculus: publicly praising Rubio as a diplomatic talent while expressing mild trust in Vance—but never explicitly endorsing either as his successor. In essence, he’s keeping both men dangling—spurring them to compete and work hard without letting internal rivalry drain the GOP’s strength. As the Iran crisis intensifies, Rubio’s influence within the White House continues to grow, and Vance knows full well that if he doesn’t act soon, his advantage will slip away. Trump’s visit to China presented Vance with a golden opportunity. The delegation was unprecedented in scale—virtually the entire core cabinet accompanied Trump—leaving Vance as the sole senior official holding down the fort at the White House. Coincidentally, just before departing, Trump remarked that 'decisions regarding Iran would not consider ordinary citizens’ economic burdens,' sparking an immediate public backlash. Trump then simply boarded his plane and left Vance to manage the fallout. On May 13—the day Trump arrived in China—Vance held a press conference. Opening with self-deprecating humor—'I’m the only one left at the White House, like a kid left home alone'—he appeared lighthearted, yet this marked the formal launch of his 'solo performance.' The central message was clear: launching a federal Medicare anti-fraud enforcement campaign, focusing especially on California—and even warning, 'If state-level corruption is confirmed, federal cooperation will be terminated.' The subtext here is unmistakable. California is the Democratic Party’s stronghold, and its governor, Gavin Newsom, is a top Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential race. Though framed as an anti-corruption drive, Vance’s move is in reality a strategic use of federal authority to pressure the Democrats’ leading rival—pleasing Republican conservatives while simultaneously laying early traps for a key future electoral opponent: a win-win maneuver.

As WTI crude oil net long positions hit a 20-week high, the Trump administration is considering invoking the Defense Production Act to expand domestic refining capacity.

With oil prices returning to $100 per barrel, the U.S. government is weighing the use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost domestic refining capacity—while speculative funds in the crude oil market are further ramping up bullish bets. According to Reuters, citing informed sources, the Trump administration is exploring how to deploy the DPA to expand U.S. domestic refining capacity. Related proposals were discussed during recent meetings between Trump and executives from approximately 12 U.S. refiners. White House officials asked refiners how federal financial support could be most effectively deployed to increase refining capacity. No final decision has yet been made, and participants expect discussions to continue. Refinery executives told the government that, if federal funding becomes available, it would be more practical to use it to improve efficiency or expand existing facilities—rather than build entirely new refineries—given the exorbitant costs and multi-year timelines required for greenfield projects. Rising refined product prices have placed particular pressure on policymakers. The national average diesel price in the U.S. has surged past $6 per gallon for the first time—up nearly 60% since February, when the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran; U.S. diesel inventories now stand 13% below their five-year average. Gasoline prices remain stubbornly high as well. On Friday, WTI crude fell 2.32%, yet still held above $100 per barrel. Bullish positioning in crude oil hits multi-month highs Latest Commitments of Traders (COT) data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) shows that, for the week ending September 8, speculative funds continued to increase their bullish bets on crude oil. Net long positions in NYMEX WTI crude rose by 19,720 contracts to 139,339—reaching a 20-week high; combined net longs in Brent and WTI crude increased by 25,890 contracts to 411,159—hitting a 16-week high. Refined product markets also displayed some bullish bias: NYMEX gasoline net longs climbed to 92,926 contracts—a nine-month high. However, NYMEX heating oil/diesel net longs dropped to 16,004 contracts—the lowest in four weeks. Natural gas markets remained bearish: NYMEX natural gas net short positions rose to 76,518 contracts—a five-week high. In other words, during the week ended September 8, capital clearly increased bullish exposure to crude oil and gasoline—but did not adopt a broadly bullish stance across the entire energy complex. Notably, the CFTC data cited above covers positions as of September 8—before WTI breached $100 per barrel. Thus, the timing suggests that speculators had already increased their long positions in anticipation of higher prices—followed by the actual price surge—not that the CFTC data itself triggered the $100 breakthrough. U.S. refining capacity is nearing its limit The Trump administration’s consideration of using the DPA to expand refining capacity reflects an underlying reality: even if crude oil supply increases, U.S. refineries may not be able to rapidly convert significantly more crude into gasoline and diesel.

US to Aid Delek Refinery Expansion in Texas, Vance Announces

2 days ago

Vice President JD Vance announced federal support via the Defense Production Act to expand a Delek US Holdings refinery in Texas. The initiative aims to increase fuel supply and lower costs ahead of midterm elections.

bloomberg

2026-10-13

US to Aid Delek Refinery Expansion in Texas, Vance Announces

2026-10-13

Trump Administration to Expand Delek Texas Refinery Using Defense Production Act

US to Aid Delek Refinery Expansion in Texas, Vance Announces

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