JD Vance: Defense Against Allegations and Looking Ahead

JD Vance wanted to focus on the future, as he said. But his past and that of his party caught up with him. For about 90 minutes, Vance, a proud representative of the digital right, tried to adapt his message to the general public. In doing so, he largely avoided conservative extremist positions to counter the long-standing accusations from Democrats that he was "strange" and out of touch with society. However, when the debate turned to the 2020 presidential election, Vance had to make a decision: Should he again affirm Donald J. Trump’s relentless claims about his defeat or should he try to look toward the future? Apparently, the decision was not difficult for him. “What President Trump said is that there were problems,” Vance explained when asked about his previous statement that he would not have certified the 2020 election. “We should argue over these issues, discuss these issues, peacefully in the public domain. And that’s all I’ve said. And that’s all Donald Trump has said.” His debate opponent, Tim Walz, stared at him wordlessly and then looked down at his podium. “Remember,” Vance said about Trump, “he said the demonstrators on January 6 should protest peacefully. And on January 20, what happened? Joe Biden became President. Donald Trump left the White House.” This portrayal omitted some details—the violence, the deaths and injuries, the alleged criminal actions, and the chants of “Hang Mike Pence.” Afterward, Vance abruptly shifted the topic to censorship. Walz silently stared into the camera, like a film character breaking the fourth wall.