ATLANTA – Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance used a series of Sunday news appearances to disparage the Democrat ticket and promote Donald Trump’s record and plans for a second term and defend himself from criticism over past comments that have become a campaign issue.
The Ohio senator, in a series of taped interviews, said there was merit to Trump’s suggestion that presidents have more control over U.S. monetary policy and stuck to the GOP line that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, had exaggerated his opinion. military registration.
Vance, who accompanied Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz during their visits to several swing states last week, was asked about abortion and his past comments on American family life, among other topics.
Some highlights of his appearances:
Trump recently suggested that presidents “should have at least a say” over monetary policy set by the Federal Reserve. He did not offer specific proposals.
Restricting the Fed’s independence from political interference as it sets interest rates would be a fundamental change. Even when he tried to argue that Trump said nothing about taking “direct” control of rates, Vance supported Trump’s general idea.
“President Trump is saying something that is really important and profound, which is that the political leadership of this country should have more say over the monetary policy of this country,” Vance said. “I agree with him. This should fundamentally be a political decision. Agree or disagree, we must allow America’s elected leaders input on the most important decisions facing our country.”
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan questioned the wisdom of such a major change. “I think if we look at world economies and see where the Fed’s central banks are independent and operate freely,” he said, “they tend to do better than those that don’t.”
Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard and has been deployed to Europe, though never to an active war zone. In a 2018 video, he referred to carrying weapons “in war”. Harris’ campaign said last week that Walz misspoke.
“Scandalous behavior,” said Vance, a military veteran.
When it was noted that Trump avoided Vietnam with dubious claims of bone spurs, Vance said that “obviously a lot of people have reasons not to serve. I criticize someone for embellishing their record, for lying, saying, ‘I went to war.’ ”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a combat veteran and key Harris ally, said Republicans are publicizing “the one time” a longtime veteran “slipped up” talking about his military service.
Vance deflected when asked about his position on an upcoming Referendum in Florida This would repeal Republican-approved abortion restrictions and ensure more access to abortion services.
Speaking broadly about states and reproductive rights, Vance said Trump “explicitly said they’re going to make this decision on a state-by-state level.”
Vance struggled to clarify Trump’s position on whether he would support federal limits on the medical abortion drug mifepristone.
Trump said in his June debate with Biden that he would not block it. At his press conference in Florida last week, he gave a rambling response and said, “You also have to vote” on the issue. Vance suggested that “maybe” Trump had difficulty hearing and understanding a reporter’s question.
Walz responded in a statement through Harris’ campaign that Trump and Vance “will ban medical abortion. … Vice President Harris and I will make sure you make your own health care decisions because we have a rule if you would the same decision as someone else: just mind your own business.
During Vance’s 2021 Senate campaign, he said in a Fox News interview that “we are effectively governed in this country by the Democrats” and referred to them as “a bunch of childless hotties who are unhappy with their own lives and the choices they made and why they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”
He said that included Harris, who has two adult children, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is gay and married with twins but had no children at the time of Vance’s comment.
The senator said a “sarcastic remark I made three years ago” clouded a serious debate about “pro-family” policies, explaining that “I criticize people for being anti-child” in their policies.
Vance has also suggested in the past giving extra votes to people with children.
“It is not a political proposal. It’s a thought experiment, right? he said in an interview Sunday, arguing that he was reacting to others’ ideas for lowering the voting age.
“Is anyone who disagrees with him anti-child?” Buttigieg fired back in a news appearance. “He seems incapable of talking about a vision for this country in terms of lifting people up. … It’s always a matter of slights.”
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Vance has appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” ABC’s “This Week” and CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Buttigieg was on CNN and Moynihan was on CBS.
