JD Vance's Bold Claim About 'Character' Leads To Immediate Fact-Check

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) tried to attack Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday ― but his critics said it sounded more like an argument against Donald Trump instead.

Vance, who is Trump’s running mate, said the election isn’t just about issues but character.

“The most important thing is not that we agree on 100% of the issues, it’s that we have a person of character and courage under fire in the Oval Office,” he said as he recounted Trump surviving two assassination attempts.

He compared that to Harris, who he called “a woman who is so afraid of the American media ― the friendly media ― that she won’t even do an interview.”

Harris was actually doing an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle at around the same time Vance was speaking.

Vance has in the past slammed Trump over character and other issues.

“I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler,” he wrote to a friend in 2016.

In a 2016 piece for The Atlantic, he called Trump “cultural heroin.”

He told NPR that same year that he couldn’t “stomach” Trump.

“I think that he’s noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place,” Vance said.

Since then, he’s done a 180 on Trump and has now joined him with demeaning attacks on women, xenophobic lies about immigrants, and outright hypocrisy.

Critics stepped up with some reminders

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful