Vice President JD Vance tried to defuse a Republican split over Tucker Carlson while dismissing Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as "crazy" — a sign the GOP is struggling to attack a candidate whose message overlaps with its own base.

• Vance said he and Carlson are friends despite deep disagreements, arguing politics shouldn't decide friendships.
• Carlson has praised El-Sayed's "spend Michigan money in Michigan, not on foreign wars" pitch as sounding Trumpian, which leaves Republicans calling him crazy instead of debating his policies.
• El-Sayed appears to be winning the Michigan race, helped by going on shows like Stephen A. Smith's and Jesse Watters' to reach voters directly.
• The name-calling echoes the "weird" attack on Vance, and it may not stick with voters focused on a rough economy — diesel just hit a record high.
• Long-form podcast interviews are now the test for national candidates, and El-Sayed handles them well.

Outlook: Expect the anti-war wing of the GOP and El-Sayed's crossover appeal to keep pulling at Republican unity through the Michigan race.