Sen. JD Vance lashed out at the media for continuing to paint a glowing picture of Vice President Kamala Harris while she shuns the press and sticks to her scripted events.
It’s been 24 days since Harris launched her presidential campaign and she has still refused to give an interview and has not held a press conference since becoming the de facto Democratic nominee.
At a rally in Byron Center, Michigan, on Wednesday, Donald Trump’s new running mate and attack dog took several swipes at Harris and claimed her allies in the “fake news” are trying to turn her into Abraham Lincoln.
And to really add to the pressure on the current vice president, he accused Harris of pulling strings behind the scenes and claimed that her presidency would simply prolong the actions of the Biden administration.
“Since we’re talking about Kamala Harris, we have some friends in the media. I can’t believe how dishonest the American media is about Kamala Harris. Isn’t that the craziest thing?” Vance said during his roughly 26-minute remarks.
Sen. JD Vance criticized press coverage of Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she has not given an interview since becoming the Democratic nominee because she cannot answer reporters’ questions.
“Democratic leaders across the country were saying things, and the American media was backing them up, that President Biden is sharper than ever, he’s sharper than a knife. Remember that?” the Ohio senator added.
“And the American media acted for three and a half years as if this guy was Albert Einstein and now they want to tell us that Kamala Harris is the second coming of Abraham Lincoln,” he said. “We don’t believe it, we don’t believe it.”
Vance visited Cordes building supplies store and spoke to a few hundred supporters after a brief encounter at a warehouse selling antique cars and memorabilia. He ended his daylong tour with a stop at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, where he bought a branzino, shared ice cream with his wife and stopped at a bubble tea stand, speaking to Michigan voters along the way.
During his remarks, Vance said Harris cannot promise to change the administration she has led for the past three and a half years, insisting she has been the only one to hold the line amid the cognitive decline of the 81-year-old Biden.
“Everything about her campaign is fake,” Vance charged. “It’s a fake joy that comes from being promoted to a new position instead of using the position you already have to do your job and improve the lives of the citizens of this country.”
“It’s a phony candidacy that never got a single vote in the Democratic primary,” he said. “It’s a phony platform that offers no specifics on how to do business for the people.”
“And a false promise to change the government even though she has been in charge of that same government for almost four years and has done absolutely nothing.”
At the end of his remarks on Wednesday, Vance did something unique for a political rally and decided to hold a live news conference in front of his supporters and those of Trump.
JD and Usha Vance appeared at a rally in Byron Center, Michigan, on Wednesday.
Vance answered questions from the media in front of rally attendees and said, “If you want to be the vice president of the American people, you have to answer their questions and try to earn their vote. It’s that simple.”
Asked during an impromptu press event about the tactic of speaking more openly with the media, the Republican vice presidential nominee said he wants all Americans to see how important it is, when running for office, to take tough questions and answer them publicly.
“It’s a message to everyone: If you want to be vice president of the American people, you have to answer their questions and try to earn their vote. It’s that simple,” Vance responded to applause.
“If you want to do this job, you have to stand before the American people and answer tough questions,” he continued. “And it’s outrageous that Kamala Harris is running away from the media, but more importantly, she’s running away from the American people. That’s a disgrace.”
“I’ve never seen a presidential campaign in my lifetime where a person is asking to be president of the United States, but is afraid of you,” Vance added, gesturing to the media lined up at the front of the stage at Byron Center, Michigan, on Wednesday afternoon.
“Look, I would say that some of you are perfectly competent journalists,” the Republican senator continued. “Some of you, no offense, are fake news. But regardless of your journalism background, if you can’t answer questions from the media, do you think you’re going to be able to stand up to Vladimir Putin or Xi Jingping?”
“If you’re afraid to answer to the American people, how can we trust you to sit in a room with world leaders and represent the American people?”