Senator JD Vance (R-OH) stuck it to an NBC reporter during a brief exchange on Wednesday, calling him out for the “DNC talking point” inspired framing of the question before delivering his response.
The reporter, who identified himself as NBC News senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Haake, asked Vance about claims that Vice President Kamala Harris — who shot to the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket without winning a single primary vote of her own accord — had passed over Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) as her running mate due to his Jewish faith.
WATCH:
J.D. Vance SHUTS DOWN an MSNBC reporter for asking a misleading question:
“You should take a little less DNC talking points when you ask your questions and ask a real question.” pic.twitter.com/Y7XSAnCfnf
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 7, 2024
“You have repeatedly suggested that the only reason Kamala Harris didn’t pick Josh Shapiro to be her running mate was because of his Jewish faith. Do you have any evidence to support that assertion, that a person who is married to a Jewish man is somehow anti-Semitic, or bowing to anti-Semites?” Haake asked.
Vance took issue with the framing of the question, and said so: “Well, I reject the premise of the question. I did not say that was the only reason that Kamala Harris didn’t choose Josh Shapiro. So you should, you know, take a little less DNC talking points when you ask your questions, and ask a real question.”
“I have suggested that Kamala Harris was motivated — or at least her party was motivated — by anti-Semitism, and the evidence that I offer for that is what dozens of Democratic activists said in the run-up to her selecting her nominee,” Vance continued. “There were multiple grassroots activists, multiple media personalities, multiple people with influence in the Democrat Party who suggested that she should not choose Josh Shapiro because of his ethnic background.”
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Vance pivoted then, adding, “And look, I don’t care what your ethnic background is. I know Donald Trump doesn’t care what your ethnic background is. I do not want to live in a country where we’re choosing who the next VP is based on skin color or ethnic heritage. Choose based on merit. And the fact that so many prominent leaders in the far Left felt empowered to talk about Shapiro’s ethnic heritage is a disgrace and I think it’s a scandal for the Democrat Party, yes, I do.”
Vance was far from the only person to suggest that Shapiro being Jewish was what cost him a spot on Kamala Harris’ 2024 ticket. CNN’s Van Jones said that he believed Harris had “caved” to the anti-Semitic wing of the party when she did not tap Shapiro — a popular governor in a must-win state.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) took things a step further, arguing that Harris had not “caved” to the anti-Semitic Left, but rather was a part of it herself.
“Let’s be clear: Kamala didn’t *cave* to the antisemitic, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party,” he said. “She *belongs* to the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party.”
Let’s be clear: Kamala didn’t *cave* to the antisemitic, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party.
She *belongs* to the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) August 6, 2024