Sen. Vance clashes with CNN's Blitzer over Trump conviction: 'End of the country as we know it'

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, clashed with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer on Friday over whether former President Trump was fairly convicted in his New York hush money trial.

Vance, who is on Trump’s vice presidential pick shortlist, defended the former president’s statements about the conviction being an unjust, political ruling done for the sake of boosting Biden’s re-election chances and hurting Trump’s run.

"You cannot say that this trial was anything more than politics masquerading as justice," Vance told Blitzer during his appearance on "CNN Special Report."

Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Thursday. Trump allies — and some liberal media pundits — insisted the law was manipulated to fortify the outcome.

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

"Are you interested in being the running mate of a convicted felon?" Blitzer asked Vance at the start of the interview.

Vance rejected the premise.

"Well, Wolf, the entire purpose of this trial was to allow the media and the Democrats to say exactly that," the senator said. "This was never about justice, this is about plastering ‘convicted felon’ all over the airwaves, when the only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial."

Blitzer said the jury was approved by Trump’s own legal defense team. Vance countered by noting how the other actors in the trial made it political.

"My complaint is not with the jury, Wolf, my complaint is with the judge, with the jury instructions that were clearly reversible, with the fact that the judge had donated to the Biden campaign, which should force a recusal under the New York rules for the judge," Vance said.

Blitzer argued that the judge donated an almost