President Donald Trump has apparently found a new assignment for Vice President JD Vance. And it has nothing to do with Iran.

On November 12, Trump directed Vance to devote his complete attention to investigating alleged fraud and corruption in Democratic-run states and cities. He also declared that the United States no longer needed an agreement with Tehran.

The timing could hardly have been more revealing.

Only a day earlier, The Wall Street Journal had reported that Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official. Trump had reportedly authorized his vice president to negotiate with Tehran.

Now, suddenly, Vance has other responsibilities.

Trump was particularly emphatic about Iran: “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed.” He also claimed that Washington already controlled hundreds of billions of dollars belonging to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

And why would he need Vance to do it?

Trump has effectively cut short his vice president’s latest diplomatic initiative.

But the new assignment is even more interesting.

Investigating corruption in American cities is certainly important. Yet consider the magnitude of the task. How many cities? How many officials? How many allegations? How many documents, investigations, and months of work?

And when, exactly, would the mission be considered accomplished?

The vice president cannot independently conduct criminal investigations. He would have to coordinate with the appropriate federal and local authorities, making an already enormous assignment potentially endless.

Trump has certainly given Vance plenty to do.

Perhaps enough to keep him occupied for the foreseeable future.

There is also a political punishment hidden in this decision.

Following the Republican defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, Vance blamed the war with Iran for the party’s losses and identified America’s relationship with Israel as another factor that had alienated Republican voters.

Trump initially acknowledged the electoral consequences of the war, but he has continued to defend it and insist that the United States must achieve total victory.

Vance publicly questioned the political cost of a war that Trump continues to defend. Now the president has removed him from the diplomatic initiative and sent him to investigate domestic corruption.

A rather effective way to discipline a vice president without publicly reprimanding him.

And then there is Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli prime minister has reportedly continued pressing Trump for renewed military action against Iran. Whatever differences may exist between Washington and Jerusalem, Netanyahu remains deeply involved in the strategic confrontation with Tehran.

The contrast is remarkable. One moment, the vice president is contemplating direct negotiations over a nuclear crisis with potentially global consequences. The next, he is being dispatched to investigate allegations of corruption in American cities.

The assignment may be legitimate and important, but its political significance is difficult to miss.

Trump has reminded Vance of a fundamental reality of American government: the vice president exercises only the executive authority the president chooses to delegate.

And that brings us to a familiar scene from childhood.

Three kids are sitting in front of a television, holding video game controllers.

Trump and Netanyahu are concentrating on the monster appearing on the screen. Vance has been assigned to chase the petty bad guys.

All three seem to be participating.

There is just one small problem.

Vance’s controller is unplugged.