JD Vance dodged the question put directly to him by Tim Walz Tuesday night: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 presidential election?
The self-declared hillbilly wouldn’t answer outright, but promised he’ll personally support Kamala Harris and Walz if they win on Nov. 5.
“Of course, I hope that we win and I think we’re going to win, but if Tim Walz is the next vice president, he’ll have my prayers,” Vance said during pair’s high-stakes vice presidential debate. “He’ll have my best wishes and he’ll have my help whenever he wants it.”
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But Vance downplayed the deadly events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Walz skewered him for it—creating one of the feistiest moments of what was otherwise a remarkably civil showdown.
The Minnesota governor asked Vance, “Did [Trump] lose the 2020 election?”
Vance didn't directly answer, instead saying, “Tim, I’m focused on the future: Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
Walz appeared shocked at Vance’s response, interrupting him to say, “That’s a damning non-answer.”
Vance continued to beat a drum about supposed censorship on social media and Walz stuck with his initial point—that Trump proved four years ago that he was willing to put himself ahead of democracy.
“I don’t run Facebook,” Walz told Vance, dismissing his dodge to get back on point. “I think you’ve got a really clear choice on who is gonna honor that democracy and who is gonna honor Donald Trump.”
Walz reminded Vance why his predecessor wasn’t anywhere near Trump on Tuesday: because he refused orders to defy democracy.
“And Mike Pence was standing there as they were chanting, ‘Hang Mike Pence!’” Walz said, referring to MAGA rioters who threatened to hang Pence for fulfilling his constitutional obligation. “Mike Pence made the right decision.
“[Trump] lost the election, this is not a debate,” Walz said. “This is not a debate anywhere other than in Donald Trump’s world. Because look, When Mike Pence made the decision to certify that election, that’s why Mike Pence is not on the stage.”
Walz did what the Harris campaign wanted: He sought to portray Trump as an autocrat and remind voters of Trump’s role in the violent insurrection aimed at disrupting Congress’s official certification of the election results. Trump was indicted for conspiracy to undermine democracy and could very well face trial if he loses to Harris next month.
The shocker of Tuesday was that the debate between both tickets’ No. 2 candidates turned out to be much more respectful, intelligent and—even presidential—than any face-off involving Trump, the GOP Party’s unorthodox nominee and de facto leader even after losing in 2020.
While Vance and Walz’s policy disagreements were on full display, Vance was anything but the rabble-rousing “attack dog” he was brought on to be for Trump.
Instead, Vance sometimes acknowledged he and Walz were working toward a similar goal with different ways of getting there, and, at one point, offered sympathy to Walz once he learned his son had witnessed a shooting.
“That’s awful,” Vance said, visibly surprised. “Christ have mercy. It is awful.”
