Since convicted felon and former President Donald Trump picked the man who once called him “an idiot,” a “cynical asshole” and “America’s Hitler” to join him on the GOP ticket, things have been bumpy for the duo.
Voters' views on Vance directly after the Republican National Convention were historically bad, even in Vance's home region of the industrial Midwest. Wednesday, Trump tried to downplay his relationship with Vance during an interview at a National Association of Black Journalists convention, saying the vice president doesn’t matter much in the election.
Trump better hope so, because so far Vance has generated only bad headlines. Vance’s disparaging remarks about childless Americans — “cat ladies” in particular — resurfaced not long after Trump added him to the ticket, causing a backlash even among Republican women. Vance also has suggested that people with children should have greater political rights in America than those who do not.
It’s a weird take that has spurred a new line of attack from Democrats — that MAGA Republicans, with their desire to control the personal lives and reproductive decisions of Americans, are weird. That’s not to mention the whole (fabricated but very funny) thing about Vance having sex with a couch.
Unsurprisingly, the subject of home furniture didn’t come up at Vance’s appearance in Glendale. Speaking to a friendly crowd, the GOP vice president hopeful made an effort to be on his most normal behavior. But nothing can ever be too normal in MAGA world, and the spectacle presented its share of weird moments.
Here are five of the most outlandish.
Is it good that [terrible thing I just made up]?
Sent by the Trump campaign to speak before Vance and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna defended Vance’s comments about women without children. She also fired hard at Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, nodding profusely after nearly every sentence she spoke.Like other speakers at the event, she mispronounced “Kamala” over and over before posing a question intended to only inflame.
“Do you think that it’s acceptable that she’s done nothing that our own children can’t go to college without getting raped and murdered?” Luna asked the audience.
“No!” the crowd responded in unison.
As if there’s another answer to such a bad-faith question.
Of all the days to tout Black support …
After Trump’s impossibly bad performance in the NABJ interview — lowlighted by Trump’s claim that the biracial Harris “happened to turn Black” — Vance said the former president enjoyed “record support” from a few groups that typically support Democrats.“He’s already got record support from Black voters, Hispanic voters, union workers and many other Americans who have been lied to and betrayed by Kamala Harris and the fake news media,” Vance said.
Um, a record for whom exactly? On Monday, a poll showed Trump had support from only 12% of Black voters. While Hispanic voters have veered toward Trump recently, they still mostly support Democrats and may feel better about Harris than President Joe Biden.
A Kari Lake encore
After Vance spoke for about 15 minutes, he excitedly called Senate candidate Kari Lake up to the stage, who had already spoken about an hour before.Lake came as beckoned and awkwardly said a few more words before leading a chant of “Vance! Trump!”
“Wow!” Vance responded in apparent amazement, although it’s possible he’d just heard how an Arizona GOP megadonor thinks Lake is a lost cause.
Convicted felon’s running mate talks law and order
Republicans have tried to paint the United States under Biden as a lawless society, when violent crime is actually at a 50-year low.Ironically, Vance portrayed the convicted felon Trump as a man of law and order compared with Harris, whose own tough-on-crime prosecutorial background has earned her skepticism from progressives.
“Kamala Harris wants to defund the police and the violent criminals who make our streets less safe,” Vance said.
Wait, defund the violent criminals? Wouldn't that be good? This guy wrote a book?
“Donald Trump, he’s gonna lock up the bad guys and back the blue,” Vance continued, “which is what all of us in this room believe.”
Trump’s first term in the White House suggests otherwise.
Trump actually tried to cut local and federal law enforcement funding while president, and the Biden-Harris administration proposed more funding to police, much to the dismay of many progressive Democrats who recognize increased policing tends to negatively affect the country's poorest communities.
It’s just the latest instance of the MAGA crowd flipping reality on its head and rewriting facts backward.
Man stares into space
For about 14 minutes after Lake’s first speech, a man in a black Trump-Vance t-shirt stood and stared off into space without speaking to anyone.It all started when “Pinball Wizard” by The Who played in the background and lasted through “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease, “Rocket Man” by Elton John and “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash.
The man finally decided to sit down during “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley.
