All posts tagged "jd vance"

'Failed this moral moment' CNN analyst bashes JD Vance's speech at MAGA 'Super Bowl'

A CNN analyst on Monday described how Vice President JD Vance dropped the ball during his address at the Turning Point USA event this weekend, an event billed as the MAGA "Super Bowl."

Vance was speaking at the right-wing group's AmericaFest and had the opportunity to denounce MAGA influencers who are anti-semitic or racist — and that he missed the mark, said CNN analyst Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director under the Biden administration.

Vance has signaled a potential 2028 presidential run — possibly with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a running mate — which Trump has said would have his full support. During the MAGA event this weekend, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, noted that the conservative group would endorse Vance in the upcoming presidential election.

"Well, it does seem to me like an all eyes on JD Vance situation, and Marco Rubio and Donald Trump, frankly, if the leaders of the MAGA movement are willing to tolerate the platforming of an avowed Hitler apologist in Nick Fuentes, that seems to me like where the pressure should be," Bedingfield said. "I certainly agree with Scott [Jennings] that Ben Shapiro and others who are calling out the anti-semitism, the conspiracy theories of the likes of Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, frankly, Megyn Kelly as well, you know, I think that is an important and good thing for them to be doing."

"JD Vance, to me, he really failed this moral moment. He failed in this moral moment," Bedingfield added. "He had the opportunity to say, 'I disavow this.' He has said that in the past, by the way. He has said he disavows Nick Fuentes. This was clearly a stage where that was called for, and he did not do it. And that I think he is going to have to continue to answer for."

The MAGA movement has been marked by recurring incidents of antisemitism and racist rhetoric, with critics pointing to antisemitic conspiracy theories, white nationalist rhetoric, and exclusionary messaging circulating online and among some prominent figures. Civil rights organizations and watchdog groups have documented a rise in hate speech and extremist content associated with MAGA rallies and online spaces, including antisemitic tropes about Jewish control of media and finance, as well as racist attacks targeting immigrants, Black American,s and other minority groups.

'He's not the guy': Ex-GOP insider says JD Vance's chances of presidency run are slim

A former GOP insider believes JD Vance has little to no chance of becoming the Republican Party pick to succeed Donald Trump as president.

The Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson, during an appearance on Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast, suggested Vance will be taken out by other, more capable candidates. Host Jong-Fast agreed and suggested Vance did not have the competency required to be seen as a shoo-in for the presidency.

Wilson noted the endorsement for the vice president from Erika Kirk had come far too soon, with Trump still sitting as president for the next three years. In that time, Vance may be side-lined or dropped from the front runner spot to take over as the Republican Party's pick.

Wilson said, "It never gets better for JD Vance than it does at this moment. JD Vance will be knifed to little, itty bitty pieces at some point by these other people."

Jong-Fast added, "You have this power, you should have everyone coming to you, proving that they are the heir apparent. One of the things we saw with Vance when he ran for Senate in Ohio, what we've seen again and again, is he's a terrible candidate. He's not good at this."

"He doesn't have good political instincts. He's not charming. He's done just about as badly as anyone with this job." Wilson would also note Vance's "negative charisma" and how it could be a major stumbling block for the vice president in future.

He said, "There's a degree of JD Vance's negative charisma. He is kind of an odd guy. Vance is strange." Despite doubts from the ex-GOP insider, Vance could step in as acting president in an unlikely but possible scenario.

Biographer Michael Wolff believes Trump's off topic comments last month during a meeting with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani could have set alarm bells off for White House insiders.

Wolff, quoting an unnamed source, said, "'Nobody expected that. This was not the script. It was completely out of the blue... and concerning. This wasn’t just losing the plot. This was like a different guy. The look in his eyes was crazy.'" The biographer has gone on to suggest the 25th Amendment could come into play.

The source told Wolff, "The only explanation was that the guy forgot who he is—so weird. It gives you a 25th Amendment shiver." The 25th Amendment was written to ensure the vice president takes over in the event the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment.

Republican lawmaker drops brutal seven-word takedown of JD Vance's Epstein moves

JD Vance once had a lot to say about the Epstein files, and one Republican lawmaker on Saturday reminded the vice president of his words.

Vance has largely been silent about the release of Epstein files by Trump's DOJ, which was required under a law passed by lawmakers and signed into law by President Donald Trump himself. The administration has been accused of breaking the law with the release, which some analysts have referred to as "botched."

GOP rep. Thomas Massie over the weekend recalled a prior "version" of Vance, and threw it in the V.P.'s face.

Massie dug up a still-published post from Vance in 2021. At that time, Vance wrote, "What possible interest would the US government have in keeping Epstein’s clients secret? Oh…"

Then Massie stepped in with seven words as a response.

"I miss this version of JD Vance," he wrote on social media.

Bombshell interview shows White House 'every bit as bad as we feared': analysis

An interview with White House staffer Susie Wiles has shown the administration is "every bit as bad as we feared", according to a political correspondent.

David Gardner claimed the series of interviews Wiles gave to Vanity Fair paints a much worse picture of inside Donald Trump's administration than first thought. Writing in The Daily Beast, Gardner suggested the "glimpse behind the White House walls" is a shocking showcase of how the country is run.

He wrote, "Wiles was always going to blame the media. The truth is sometimes hard when you see it written in cold, hard print. The real issue is that she offered us a glimpse behind the White House walls. And it’s every bit as bad as we feared."

Wiles would dub Vice President JD Vance a conspiracy theorist, claim Elon Musk microdosed ketamine during his time as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and that Pam Bondi had botched the release of the Epstein files.

All of this points to what MAGA voters are wanting to hear, Gardner suggested. The details on Vance, Musk, and Bondi paint a very different picture to the stability MAGA members were hoping to gauge.

Gardner wrote, "Hers is the voice of reason, but reason is not what Trump’s MAGA supporters want to hear. They want to believe in the mission, not in chaos." Wiles has worked as Trump's Chief of Staff in the White House across both of his terms as president.

Though she would criticise the Vanity Fair piece once it was published, Gardner believes Wiles saw no reason to lie to a journalist who had been "welcomed into the administration's inner circle".

He wrote, "When she was asked questions by one of the country’s most respected and complete political writers, who was welcomed into the administration’s inner circle, she saw no reason to lie. So she told the truth.

"And it could well burn down the White House MAGA myth she helped create, that the administration was fervently following a cogent strategy."

Wiles spoke 11 times to Christopher Whipple, who has written a highly regarded book on other White House chiefs of staff, and the magazine published the first of two parts of an article based on those conversations that shocked many readers with claims about the president and other high-ranking administration officials.

'Most remarkable revelation' revealed in Susie Wiles' stunning Vanity Fair interview

Susie Wiles fessed up to some of the inner workings of the Trump administration, and despite telling the truth — even if the White House didn't want to hear it — she hasn't faced any calls for resignation following a candid interview with Vanity Fair published Tuesday.

Wiles said what many insiders have not admitted publicly about President Donald Trump and his administration, The Atlantic's Jonathan Chait wrote Tuesday.

"It is simply because these quotes, while dire, are also unsurprising. Wiles did not say anything that Republicans didn’t already know. Her error lay in the breach between what Trump’s supporters understand and what they are permitted to say," according to the outlet.

Wiles told Vanity Fair in the explosive story how Trump uses legal attacks for "score settling." She called Budget Director Russell Vought “a right-wing absolute zealot" and said Vice President JD Vance is "a conspiracy theorist for a decade." She also said that Elon Musk's "avowed ketamine" use is what led to the DOGE layoffs in federal government agencies.

Members of the conservative press have criticized Wiles not for admitting the truth but for saying anything at all.

"Their anger is reserved for Wiles for admitting as much to the 'lamestream' media," according to The Atlantic.

Most of what she said would have been career-ending for some, but instead, Trump insiders are looking the other way or calling the reporting an "omission."

"In this way, the most remarkable revelation from these newly published interviews comes not from what Wiles did or didn’t say, but in how Trump and his enablers are spinning it. Comments that would have precipitated a crisis in any other presidency are now simply being dismissed—knowingly, cynically—as 'fake news,'” The Atlantic reported.

JD Vance 'status' problem in White House is sinking presidential ambitions: analysis

JD Vance must tackle a huge "status" problem if he has any hope of succeeding Donald Trump, a political scientist has said.

Though the Vice President may think of himself as a shoo-in for the Republican Party nomination in future, he still has a wide gap of doubt to close. Karen Hult, professor of political science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, told The Mirror US that Vance lacks experience — and is not held in high regard where it matters most.

Hult said, "He has not shifted as easily as perhaps it was anticipated that he would, from being a pretty good campaigner to moving into positions within the larger executive branch and as vice president.

"He wasn’t in the U.S. Senate for very long, it’s important to remember. So he doesn’t have very good status or grounding there. He also doesn’t have that much experience in international politics or various kinds of diplomatic endeavors."

This lack of grounding in the Senate could be fatal for Vance, who also needs to use the image of being Trump's "attack dog" to his advantage.

Scott Kaufman, chair of the department of history at Francis Marion University, said, "The vice president has historically been seen as kind of the president's attack dog, someone who is supposed to be supportive of the president."

"On that alone, the vice president needs to be cautious. But the vice president also wants to be careful about not saying or doing things that could bring the president down."

Another expert has since suggested Vance is using the time between now and next year's midterm elections as a chance to "audition" for the presidency.

Kaufman added, "I think one reason why Vance is being so quiet is because he doesn't want to anger that MAGA core support that Trump has that's unwavering."

"The idea that he's been kind of in the background for a little while, I expect we're going to see a supercharged JD Vance,” Baumgartner added. “No. 1, I think he's that kind of guy, politically. No. 2, I think he's auditioning for the White House. And No. 3, I think that Trump will want him to do stuff like that. That's a traditional role for the vice president."

White House 'livid' after MAGA senator blindsides with push to oust JD Vance: report

The White House was apparently "livid" after a MAGA senator launched a strategic move to potentially push forward a presidential bid to oust Vice President JD Vance.

The Trump administration was apparently blindsided by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who launched a new anti-abortion group called the Love Life Initiative with his wife Erin, The Daily Beast reported.

"Clearly, Senator Hawley and his political team learned nothing from the 2022 elections, when the SCOTUS abortion ruling [overturning Roe v. Wade] resuscitated the Democrats in the midterms," an unnamed, close Trump adviser told Axios.

The Trump administration sees the move as a way for Hawley to plan on challenging Vance for the 2028 presidential run. They apparently did not know about Hawley's scheme until it went public.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have said abortion rights are not a top concern after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.

Hawley, who been a vocal populist and often speaks to concerns among the working class, reportedly launched a dark money group to support the initiative, Axios reported. He and his wife have planned to reinitiate the conversation around abortion and have lined up a series of advertising campaigns, including an anticipated Super Bowl ad.

"We think that there needs to be a ... strong voice advocating for life," Hawley told Axios.

Trump and other Republicans think that focusing on abortion could be divisive, especially among independent voters and suburban women.

Another Trump adviser told Axios that the 2026 midterm election strategy should have "aggressive action focused on positive gains in the economy."

"That alone will be the driving force behind the next election," the adviser told the outlet. "Picking a fight on an issue like abortion in a midterm is the height of asinine stupidity."

'It's laughable': JD Vance's school shooting reply trashed by 'fed up' surviving student

JD Vance on Saturday made a comment about the Brown University school shooting, and a surviving student called it "laughable."

Vance this weekend responded to the shooting, which reports say led to at least two deaths, in part by soliciting prayers.

"Terrible news out of Rhode Island this evening. We're all monitoring the situation and the FBI stands ready to do anything to help," Vance wrote on social media before adding, "We're all thinking of and praying for the victims tonight."

Sophomore Zoe Weissman, who also survived the Parkland shooting, was asked on MS NOW about the vice president's comment.

The host asked her, "Is that enough from leadership in this country? What more do you think students want to hear?"

Weissman replied, "It's honestly laughable."

"This administration was the same one that was in power when the shooting in Parkland happened, and they said the same exact thing. They sent their thoughts and prayers and told us that they were thinking of us. Clearly they weren't," she said. "If they actually cared about us and they were actually praying for us, and they actually wanted us to do well, they would do something to end the gun violence problem in this country. And I think a lot of my fellow students can agree with that, that we're fed up with the current administration and congress is inaction."

Rampant fear in this red state shows the true danger of Trump's vile racist attacks

Will we be next? Ohio’s Somali community, the second largest in the U.S. after Minnesota, is terrified that President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Somali immigrants in Minneapolis will spread to Columbus, where an estimated 60,000 Somali Americans live.

A surge in ICE activity and racial profiling targeting Somalis in the Twin Cities followed Trump’s racist rant last week against the entire Somali community in America that among them includes an overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens.

Sit with that for a minute.

The president of the United States openly trashed Americans of a certain ethnic and racial group in a vile attack that preceded increased federal government harassment of mostly Somali Americans in Minnesota.

Will Ohioans of Somali descent be next?

Trump has insulted people from African (“s---hole”) countries before, but his latest outburst against Somali Americans was, as one account put it, “shocking in its unapologetic bigotry.”

After nodding off during a lengthy Cabinet meeting dripping with Dear Leader adulation, the 79-year-old convicted felon lashed out at immigrants from the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation.

Trump called American citizens from Somalia “garbage” and vowed to deport them “back to where they came from” because “they contribute nothing” and “I don’t want them in our country.”

His premier toady, Ohio’s shameless JD Vance, banged the table in emphatic concurrence.

It was repulsive, if not unsurprising behavior from a man who notoriously demeaned and endangered legal Haitian immigrants revitalizing local economies in his home state.

As the approving JD looked on, Trump heaped derision (again) on Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar, who immigrated from Somalia as a child, and called for the member of Congress to “be thrown the hell out” of the U.S.

“We’re going the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. Her friends are garbage.”

There is no ambiguity about the message Trump is sending to the world when he disparages nonwhite immigrants in America while inviting affluent white South Afrikaners to emigrate here with U.S. support.

Conversely, the most powerful man on the planet depicts Black Somali Americans as worthless freeloaders who threatened to destroy “our” country and wants them expelled.

Never mind the taxpayers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, small business owners, politicians, etc., who are first- and second-generation Somali Americans contributing to their communities.

Ismail Mohamed is one of them.

He is a 33-year-old lawyer and one of two Somali Americans serving in the Ohio House as a state representative from Columbus.

The Democrat, in his second term, has been fielding urgent calls and texts from anxious constituents ever since Trump put Ohioans of Somali origin in the crosshairs of his wrath.

People are gripped with fear, he said.

“Especially those who don’t speak English, who fear going out. If they get picked up and can’t communicate, how are they going to relay that they are U.S. citizens?” asked Mohamed.

“I am advising many to know their rights, make sure you have documents with you, the name of a lawyer.”

The young legislator was shaken by Trump’s hateful rhetoric about his community yet resolved.

“We’re educating the community, but those in legal limbo as asylum seekers are worried. Even though you have legal status, a pending application, you’re at risk. When the president of the United States, the leader of the free world, attacks a community he knows is not in a position to fight back, it’s hard not to be scared.”

Mohamed, who was born in Somalia and lived as a refugee before coming to the U.S., is most concerned about the impact of Trump’s words and what they could trigger in someone who’s already on edge.

“It’s easy for someone who’s a racist or bigot to pick up a gun and shoot at a local mosque or, God forbid, kill someone. We’ve seen that happen before in other states. We’ve seen an increase in hate crimes in Columbus. I’m careful, even as an elected myself.”

The lawmaker recounted recent online attacks against him stemming from a video of him speaking Somali to his constituents.

Posted blasts skewered an elected rep in the U.S. speaking a foreign language.

Mohamed was unsettled when a Republican colleague in the Ohio House, state Rep. Jennifer Gross, actually reposted the video attacking him and added, “This is an Ohio State Representative. Thoughts?”

Mohamed confided he had to have security for a period of time.

Gross’ post has not been deleted.

Still, the refugee-turned-lawyer-turned-state representative reflected that every immigrant community in America has faced some initial pushback and hostility.

“They’re not American enough, or their language is different, their food is weird.”

But experiencing the ugliness firsthand, and from the president no less, is difficult to process said Mohamed.

“It is still hard and painful when a young kid, a college kid, reaches out to you and says why is the president calling me garbage?”

It is a new low to try to explain or justify, he added.

“You feel so angry and hurt. But we are appealing to everyone to say this is wrong, this is un-American to target and dehumanize an entire people simply for political gain. If it is Somali Americans now, it’ll be a different community next week. I hope Ohioans who are not Somali can just take a step back and imagine what is happening to us happening to them or their ancestors who were not welcomed.”

'Go ahead and sue me': South Park creators take stand against Trump admin in season finale

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have dropped their highly anticipated final episode of the season, taking a stand against the Trump administration and signaling a "reset" for the franchise.

The South Park season 28 finale featured Stan seeking a miracle and a major showdown between pregnant Satan encountering President Donald Trump as Santa and Vice President JD Vance as an elf — all dressed up for the holidays — while they arrive to free Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and MAGA billionaire and "antichrist expert" Peter Thiel. But when Jesus shows up, per Trump's request, Satan's water breaks and the gang heads to the hospital, "where doctors pronounce the child has died in the womb, the result of a suicide suspiciously similar to Jeffrey Epstein’s (the foetus supposedly hung itself, although there is a minute of ultrasound footage mysteriously missing)," according to The Guardian.

The episode revealed even more about what the creative duo has considered about Trump — and the expected battle ahead.

"Most viewers were probably anticipating a giant, apocalyptic climax to the various long-running storylines – chief among them Donald Trump’s attempts to kill his and his lover Satan’s soon-to-be-born spawn. Instead, Stone and Parker swerved expectations, delivering an introspective and ultimately melancholy climax, one that managed to balance hope and despair in equal measure, alongside the outrageous shock humour for which they’re famous," The Guardian reported.

While South Park has pressed on the Trump administration in the past, this was different.

"At the same time, Parker and Stone are clearly looking to the future, including their continuing fight on behalf of freedom of speech (when, late in the episode, Jesus declares: 'Go ahead and sue me, I’m not going to be afraid any more,' it’s clearly Stone and Parker making a stand)," The Guardian reported.

"And while it’s a fool’s errand to try to guess what next season has in store, we can probably assume the duo are not finished with Trump and his cronies. The destruction those in office have wreaked on the US has clearly inflamed the duo more than anything else in years, while, somewhat ironically, bringing those same characters into the show has also breathed new life into it," according to The Guardian.