Vice President JD Vance attends President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 24, 2026. REUTERS/NATHAN HOWARD
Vice President JD Vance had to face a reality check from an unlikely source Wednesday — Fox News.
Vance was talking to anchor Bill Hemmer following President Donald Trump's rambling and record-breaking State of the Union speech, when Hemmer asked him several pointed questions about dismal polling results showing Americans' dissatisfaction with the economy, The Daily Beast reported.
Hemmer pointed to how the topic was an “issue that might clip” Republicans just months away from midterms. He referred to a Fox News poll conducted from Jan. 23–26 that revealed just 40 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 59 percent disapprove, according to The Beast.
The Fox News anchor didn't mince words with the vice president.
“You’ve got nine months to turn it around,” Hemmer told Vance. He compared the daunting task to "pushing a car uphill."
"You know Democrats are juiced — they're ready to vote tomorrow," Hemmer said.
Vance admitted that the Trump administration was confronting a challenge.
"In some ways, we are pushing a car uphill,” Vance said, just before he changed the subject and blamed former President Joe Biden. He also tried to argue that Americans would get a "massive tax refund."
Fox News presents JD Vance with a bunch of polls showing Trump is as much as 19 points underwater on the economy. Vance's response is to deflect by claiming "the Biden administration left us a disaster of an economy." pic.twitter.com/6cYz5wAlXS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 25, 2026