Again when he was only a enterprise capitalist who had managed to rise from the ruins of Appalachia, JD Vance publicly accepted that Donald Trump misplaced the 2020 presidential election. Then Vance determined to run for Senate—and his tune shortly modified.
Since successful that Ohio Senate seat and being tapped as Trump’s operating mate, Vance has been pressured to backtrack on calling Trump “America’s Hitler.” Now he’s frantically attempting to sidestep his manner out of answering a basic query: Did Trump lose the 2020 election? President Joe Biden’s victory has been confirmed quite a few instances in courtroom selections throughout the nation, however Vance received’t acknowledge it.
Vance’s “damning nonanswer” in the course of the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate drew swift criticism from veterans and plenty of political pundits. His refusal to confess that america has free and truthful elections isn’t solely harmful, however disqualifying.
But the Republican vice presidential nominee retains dodging the query at each alternative. Listed here are seven instances he did simply that previously 11 days.
1. He prevented it in an interview with The New York Occasions
Throughout The New York Occasions’ podcast “The Interview,” host Lulu Garcia-Navarro requested Vance if Trump misplaced the 2020 election. Vance responded equally to his reply within the VP debate, saying he’s “focused on the future.”
“There’s an obsession here with focusing on 2020,” Mr. Vance stated. “I’m much more worried about what happened after 2020, which is a wide-open border, groceries that are unaffordable.”
2. And a second time.
Garcia-Navarro pressed a second time: “Senator, yes or no, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”
“Let me ask you a question,” Vance stated. “Is it OK that big technology companies censored the Hunter Biden laptop story, which independent analyses have said cost Donald Trump millions of votes?”
3. And a 3rd time.
“Senator Vance, I’m going to ask you again,” Garcia-Navarro stated. “Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”
“Did big technology companies censor a story that independent studies have suggested would have cost Trump millions of votes?” Vance replied.
4. And a fourth time.
“Senator Vance,” Ms. Garcia-Navarro continued. “I’m going to ask you again, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”
“And I’ve answered your question with another question,” Mr. Vance stated. “You answer my question and I’ll answer yours.”
5. And a fifth time—sure, throughout the identical interview.
Garcia-Navarro stated there may be “no proof, legal or otherwise,” of election fraud. Vance dismissed that as “a slogan.”
“I’m not worried about this slogan that people throw, ‘Well, every court case went this way,’” he stated. “I’m talking about something very discrete—a problem of censorship in this country that I do think affected things in 2020.”
Vance topped it off by saying he wouldn’t have licensed the 2020 election. Watch the infuriating trade for your self.
6. He blamed the media.
Throughout a Michigan rally the day after the controversy, Vance stated, “Well look, here’s the simple reason: The media’s obsessed with talking about the election of four years ago. I’m focused on the election of 33 days from now because I want to throw Kamala Harris out of office and get back to common-sense economic policies.”
7. He dodged it on the controversy stage
And naturally, there was the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1, in response to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s query: “Did he lose the 2020 election?”
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance informed Walz, earlier than pivoting to an absurdly unrelated subject. “Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz stated.
It’s straightforward to shake your head in surprise at Vance’s absolute gall. However polls present the Trump-Vance ticket has an precise shot at successful in November, which implies Vance can be charged with certifying electoral votes in a future election.
And one factor is chillingly clear: Vance is not any Mike Pence.
