President Trump’s decision to select Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate sets the stage for a potentially high-tension confrontation between the senator and Vice President Harris.
Both are staunch defenders of the men at the top of their respective tickets, although they have not always done so in the past. And while they have other similarities, including their vigor and command of politics, they also have clear differences that will be in the spotlight ahead of their debate clash later in the summer.
Harris reached out to Vance after the big reveal to congratulate him, a Biden administration official said, and to express her hope “that the two could meet at the vice presidential debate proposed by CBS News.” Biden’s campaign said Harris is “fully prepared to face him.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are already eager to see the two candidates face off.
“I want a front row seat. I’m not going to watch it on TV, I want a front row seat. He’s one of the best guys talking about an issue,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). “He puts a lot of time and effort into things. Smart, but he also does his job. He just doesn’t take for granted what he’s going to talk about.”
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said he believes Vance will be a good replacement for Trump before November.
“It’s going to be fun to watch these debates with Kamala Harris, because I think she’s very, very talented,” Thune said. “Good performance and I think he will be a very strong spokesperson for President Trump on his team.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Harris “will take it to” Vance in a debate.
“I’ve known her for almost 15 years. While she was in all kinds of fights on behalf of working families,” said the senator. “I’m looking forward to this debate.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters Tuesday that he was speaking with Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) of Wisconsin about Trump’s decision to pick a Republican senator and acknowledged the difficulties ahead for both fellow senators. plate.
“We both wish him well, we pray for his family. It’s not easy to put yourself out there, especially on a presidential ticket,” Booker said. “I saw the attacks, the unfair and unjust attacks against Kamala Harris, again one of our colleagues, a good American.”
Vance is a Trump critic turned loyalist, and his past comments about the former president were unearthed in the latest day of heightened scrutiny. In the past, he has been highly critical of Trump,describing it asa “cynical idiot” and “America’s Hitler.”
Harris and Biden haven’t always had a friendly history either. Harris ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and has criticized Biden for his past opposition to the federal busing policy, an effort to end school desegregation, during his career in Congress.
Harris’ defenders point to her experience as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and California senator for more than three years. They also highlight her work in the Biden administration, especially serving as a vocal advocate for reproductive rights following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“I don’t envy anyone who has the honor of facing Vice President Kamala Harris on a debate stage,” said Rachel Palermo, who served as Harris’ deputy communications director and associate White House counsel.
“She is an effective and skilled debater and prosecutes the case by gathering evidence, laying out the facts and communicating the stakes in a convincing way,” he added. “No matter the circumstances, the vice president’s approach includes being extremely well prepared – plus, she is brilliant.”
Meanwhile, Vance is a first-term senator who ran for political office after his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which described his Appalachian upbringing and his views on white, working-class America. He served in the Navy and earned his JD from Yale Law School.
Vance is also the first millennial to be nominated for a major presidential ticket and brings a certain level of youth to the arena. With Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, at the top of the ticket, age has become a controversial issue in the elections.
Before Vance, 39, was nominated, Harris, 59, was a respected voice for the younger generation of Americans seeking representation in the race. A former Harris staffer argued that the age difference between Vance and Harris doesn’t seem like a big deal considering the vice president still represents the next generation of leaders.
Aaron Kall, debate director at the University of Michigan, said a vice presidential debate would still mark a “real contrast” to the presidential debate between Trump and Biden, showcasing “the next generation of politicians and ideas on both sides.”
A former communications director for Harris, Ashley Etienne, said last month that Vance would pose the biggest threat on the debate stage to her former boss, calling him an “incredible debater.”
“One of the smallest advantages [of picking Vance] it was just that in the only vice presidential debate, he could be a formidable opponent for Vice President Harris,” Kall said.
But Kall argued that Vance may only be the best choice “by default,” given the debate track record of the other GOP running mate options Trump was considering.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) “didn’t stand out much” during this 2024 cycle’s debates, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) has had a few more “negative” debate clips in the past, he said Kall.
Mark Weaver, a Republican strategist and former deputy attorney general of Vance’s home state of Ohio, argued that Vance would easily beat Harris if they faced off on a debate stage, arguing that he is “just as competent in a soundbite environment of the media as he is discussing the details of domestic and foreign policy.”
At the same time, Weaver noted that Trump “probably would have needed to make a different choice” for his running mate if he was behind in the polls.
“He would have needed to bring a more classic demographic or geographic balance,” Weaver said, but Trump’s lead in the polls suggests he has “the luxury of picking someone who doesn’t fit into the prefabricated political playbook on how to balance.” . a ticket.”
The configuration of the Vance-Harris confrontation also comes amid rumors about Biden’s replacement at the top of the Democratic ticket.
Biden faces growing calls from within his own party to withdraw from the 2024 race after a “bad night” at last month’s debate renewed concerns about his mental fitness.
Harris appears to be the natural choice to replace his boss if a change happens, but the incumbent insists he will stay in the race despite the pressure.
Still, the conversation has put a new spotlight on Harris as the administration seeks a second term, and observers may be looking to Harris’ debate performance as a sign of her ability to command the Oval Office — whether Biden backs down in 2024, or whether it will run again in the future.
“Given all the discussion around President Biden, whether or not to replace him, there has simply been more light on Harris in general,” Kall said.
Al Weaver contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
