The JD Vance Mistake
Reports of Republican discontent with Trump's choice for VP are coming out just as JD Vance's history begins to fully surface and bite him in the bee-hind. I also clear up that "couch thing."
Donald Trump picked JD Vance as his running mate to help give the appearance of youth to his campaign, which at the time was insistent on bashing Joe Biden for his age. Then, President Biden decided to hand over the reins to Kamala Harris, who embodies all of the things that Vance had previously set his misogynistic sights against. The Harris campaign had over a week to prepare to go head-to-head with Vance in the Veep arena, but then Biden withdrew from the race.
Much like his endeavors with casinos, steaks, higher education, water and air, Donald Trump has made another major miscalculation. Trump made his pick when GOP stock soared high. Republicans were able to take over the airwaves for a week at their convention following a very dramatic assassination attempt at a Trump rally just a few days before.
It seemed that to his own party, Donald Trump could do no wrong. But, Trump’s pick, based on his own hubristic need to “project youth” was steeped in controversy following the convention and after the Harris ascension, Republicans seemed more than ready to talk about their Vance fears.
"The road got a lot harder — [Vance] was the only pick that wasn't the safe pick and I think everyone has now realized that," one House Republican said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Without a doubt, all of the other Republicans who were under consideration for the position had been thoroughly vetted within the Party and with the public. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who has done a complete about face with regard to his newfound support of Trump was thought to be a strong candidate as was Nikki Haley, an establishment-minded Republican with some actual experience who would have given Trump the appearance of gender diversity at a time when abortion rights are front and center on the ballot.
"On the whole, the feeling is [that Vance] doesn't add much," another House Republican said of Trump picking Vance,” and now with Kamala at the top, the capacity to have expanded the map a little bit…would have been much more beneficial." Indeed, Trump could have extended his own reach by choosing governors who would have given the campaign a boost in certain, strategic areas. But North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin were quickly set aside for a figurehead of virility, a younger version of a Trump sycophant who could project everything that Donald Trump cannot. The juicy “see how it feels” irony of this is not lost on the women of America, trust me.
In the face of this looming miscalculation, Donald Trump is now doing what he always does — doubling down on a major error and refusing to admit that any of this was a mistake. When Trump appeared on Fox News yesterday, Steve Ducey posed the following question: “I’m sure you’ve seen there have been a couple of stories out saying they wonder whether or not you feel you made the right pick…You’re still 100% behind JD Vance, right?” Trump, clearly forgetting that he can’t dismiss a Vice Presidential Candidate in Bankruptcy Court, continued to enthusiastically brag about his choice and express support for Vance.
While support for Vance continues to erode for Republicans behind the scenes, the internet has had a field day with pointing out all of the reasons why JD Vance was a horrible choice for the ticket. Once he was named as the nominee, I spent a while researching his background and found several egregious statements Vance had previously made about Trump, including one comparing Trump to Hitler and saying he might actually vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Next came a resurfaced video that went viral of Vance on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in 2021, criticizing multiple Democratic figures as "childless cat ladies" and saying people without children don't have a "direct stake" in America's future. The video had more than 25 million views on X as of Wednesday and people have been mocking him relentlessly ever since, with some high profile posters like Jennifer Aniston and Gabby Giffords expressing their disappointment in the statement and focusing on women who are not able to conceive.
Vance has also made history with his candidacy, becoming the first vice presidential nominee to have been rumored to have had sex with a couch. The rumor began as a joke on Twitter, when user @rickrudescalves tweeted on July 15: “can’t say for sure but he might be the first vp pick to have admitted in a ny times bestseller to f*cking an Inside-out latex glove shoved between two couch cushions (vance, hillbilly elegy, pp. 179-181).”
While that tweet appeared to be directly sourced from Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, it was not the content found on pages 179 to 181, which is about Vance’s time at Ohio State University (where all couches appear to remain unharmed). The internet proceeded to do its thing and the concept again went viral with people posting jokes about the rumor everywhere from Twitter to TikTok.
The Associated Press posted an article attempting to dispel the rumor and explain its origins, but the AP ultimately had to remove the article from its website because the rumor could not be verified or debunked. An editor from the outlet said the following regarding the publication of the Vance/Couch Saga: “The story, which did not go out on the wire to our customers, didn’t go through our standard editing process. We are looking into how that happened.”
We ultimately have no actual proof that JD Vance did or did not try to have sex with a couch, which means reporting on the accuracy of the issue is problematic. It also proves, that along with the ongoing obsession with youth, the irony of Vance’s sexual exploits being called into question is not lost on the women in America. Regardless of what happens and how many silly denials are issued, the damage has been done to the Trump attempt to brand “conservative virility” because this is the image everyone, including JD Vance’s wife, will always have in the backs of their minds:
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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This last week saw a stark contrast in character, Biden stepping aside for the good of party and country and Trump picking Vance for his own ego. Trump's own needs supersede even his own campaign and certainly his party. It's quite hilarious but still frightening that polls show a dead even race for now. Harris has injected excitement into the party though and hopefully will bring a dull race to life and get people off the sidelines, the ones who were tired of the old white man battle of I can screw up America less than you. If she wins and I sincerely hope she does, I really really hope she brings monumental change to the country. Another weak sauce Democratic presidency will only turn the country over to MAGA world, probably for good.
Before you Amee for the next 100 days you will have a veritable feast before you to feed us. It cannot be said enough Karma ! Or Kamala.
Personally , I am worried about Yale’s Law School and of course of everyone’s furniture .
Enjoy your Kitty this weekend you are going to be very busy!