Senator and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has been called out by an ex-aide to former President Donald Trump for making a “disqualifying” remark about the 2020 election.
Vance answered “no” on Wednesday after being asked by a reporter at a rally in Pennsylvania whether he thought that Trump lost to President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump and many of his allies continue to falsely claim that the election was “stolen” from the former president, despite no credible evidence to back up the claim.
“I think there were serious problems in 2020,” Vance said on Wednesday. “So, did Donald Trump lose the election? Not by the words I would use. But look, I really couldn’t care less if you agree or disagree with me on this issue …”
Vance had previously avoided answering the question directly on numerous occasions, including during his October 1 debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Jeff Swensen
Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served in a number of high-level Trump administration communications roles, said during a CNN panel discussion on Wednesday night that Vance refusing to acknowledge the reality of Trump’s loss should disqualify him from the vice presidency.
Griffin also suggested that Vance only claimed that Trump did not lose to Biden to advance his own political career, arguing that publicly accepting 2020 election falsehoods is now viewed as a “litmus test” by Republicans loyal to Trump.
“It should be disqualifying,” Griffin said. “It speaks to his character and his integrity. I don’t think there’s anyone on this panel who thinks that JD Vance legitimately believes that Donald Trump won the election and that Joe Biden lost it.”
“But this has become a litmus test,” she added. “A sort of bright line to be able to be Donald Trump’s VP pick. There’s a reason that my former boss, Mike Pence, is not on the ticket … He certified 81 million American votes for Joe Biden, who won the election.”
Griffin went on to say that she thought Vance’s answer could make a difference during this year’s election “around the margins,” pointing to “disillusioned Republicans who are tired of the lies” about the last election.
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Trump-Vance campaign via email on Wednesday night.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd called Vance’s remarks on the 2020 election “pathetic” in an email sent to Newsweek.
“Donald Trump picked JD Vance to be his running mate because he knew Vance would go along with his dangerous election denialism and baseless attacks on our democracy no matter what,” Floyd wrote. “It’s pathetic—and voters are ready to remind Trump why he lost in 2020 again this November.”
Vance’s public comments on Trump have shifted considerably over the years, with the ex-president’s 2024 running mate previously declaring himself a “never Trumper” and pondering whether the then-future president was “America’s Hitler” in 2016.
