If there’s anybody who can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, it’s JD Vance.
Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate has had a disastrous few weeks since being selected by the covicted felon and former Apprentice host to share the Republican ticket for the upcoming election. These issues have stemmed from a variety of places: Vance’s chequered past, his previous open disdain for Trump (comparing him to Hitler, for one), and, of course, the fact he sometimes seems unable to think before he speaks.
Sometimes these gaffes have been relatively harmless, such as being unable to interact with donut shop workers like a normal person. Others, however, have been a lot more dangerous and derogatory, especially when it comes to him talking about the Democratic candidate and current vice president, Kamala Harris.
Vance has previously compared Harris being in control of monetary policy to Jeffery Epstein being given “control over human trafficking policy.” Given Trump is the only person on the ticket who had close personal relationships with the famous child sex trafficker, that’s probably not a wise decision from Vance, but then again who are we to tell him how to expertly put his foot in his mouth?
As Vance’s favorability ratings slide further down, his attacks on Harris are becoming more unhinged. In a recent speech, the Hillbilly Elegy author began discussing Trump’s recent illegal and crass photo shoot at Arlington Cemetery, where a member of the former president’s team allegedly pushed a cemetery employee over when the worker reminded them that taking pictures at the monument for political purposes was not allowed.
He then went on to reference a 2021 attack from the Islamic State that claimed the lives of 13 American citizens, putting the blame on Harris. He appeared to be so incensed that he had to pause before rounding off his rant with the suggestion that Harris could “go to hell.” He also said:
“Don’t focus on Donald Trump showing up to grieve with some people who lost their children. Focus on your own job. Don’t do this fake outrage thing. If Kamala Harris was really outraged about what happened, then she would do her job differently, start a real investigation, and fire some of the people who are involved.”
Given Trump’s famous draft-dodging and the fact that Harris’s veep pick had a long record of service in the military, this is an interesting line of attack from Vance that will likely do more harm than good. Then again, that seems to be his modus operandi, which begs the question: Is Vance actually a Democrat supporter in disguise?