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Republican vice-candidate Vance is criticized for sexism. Trump tries to improve his image – and fails.
Chicago – Republican vice-candidate JD Vance is under heavy criticism for his conservative family image and past statements. During an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Chicago, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made statements about his vice-candidate that will probably haunt him for some time now.
When asked whether Vance was fit for the office, Trump said: “Historically, the vice president has no influence when it comes to the election.” According to Trump, there would only be “two or three days” of excitement about who would take on the candidacy for the office of vice president. “Then it would die down and it would just be about the election of the president,” the former president explained.
Trump named JD Vance as his running mate at the Republican convention. © picture alliance/dpa/AP | Carolyn Kaster
Democrats react to Trump quotes: Harsh criticism of Republican JD Vance
Although Vance has so far ignored Trump’s statements and praised his performance in the interview on Platform X, the quote could have far-reaching consequences for the Republican campaign. The statements were a godsend for the Democrats, who promptly took a stand. “The American people already knew that JD Vance is not fit to lead, and now it is clear that Donald Trump agrees with them,” said a spokesman for the Democratic convention named Alex Flloyd.
According to the report, Vance is “an out-of-touch ultra-MAGA villain who wants to abolish freedoms, threaten our democracy and pursue a far-right agenda for Project 2025.” Project 2025 is a plan that, among other things, aims to reshape the government in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 US election. Trump has so far tried to distance himself from the project, which is backed by several conservative and right-wing companies and NGOs. However, this has been made much more difficult by Vance as a candidate in the making.
Wrong decision for the 2024 US election? Trump distances himself from Vice President JD Vance
In the interview, Trump distanced himself from the positions of his running mate: “He is very family-oriented. But that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong if you don’t have a family.” Trump’s decision to introduce the relatively unknown Vance as his running mate raised concerns among Republicans.
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The first surprises have already come to light. For example, Vance called Democrat Kamala Harris a childless cat woman and called for electoral reforms that would give childless people less say in elections. An additional point of attack is the lack of experience of the vice president, who has only been in the US Senate since January 2023.
According to Trump, he chose Vance as his running mate because he had “created an amazing life for himself.” “I respect people for their success,” said the former president. It remains to be seen whether the Republicans will be able to create this image of Vance for the public after the botched start to the election campaign. (list)