JD Vance dodges 2020 election question again, critics call response ‘pathetic’

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is once again under fire for sidestepping questions about whether Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. In a recent interview with The New York Times’ Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Vance failed to provide a direct answer, sparking criticism for his evasive stance.

When asked if Trump lost in 2020, Vance deflected, stating, “I think that Donald Trump and I have both raised a number of issues with the 2020 election, but we’re focused on the future. There’s an obsession here with focusing on 2020. I’m much more worried about what happened after 2020, which is a wide-open border, groceries that are unaffordable…”

Garcia-Navarro pressed him further, asking again if Trump lost, only for Vance to pivot to the Hunter Biden laptop controversy, asking, “Is it OK that big technology companies censored the Hunter Biden laptop story which independent analyses have said cost Donald Trump millions of votes?”

Vance’s repeated deflections have drawn sharp criticism, with many branding his responses “pathetic” and “shameful.” Vance’s unwillingness to answer the basic question has become a recurring theme. In a prior rally, Vance dismissed the issue, saying, “The media is obsessed with talking about the election from four years ago; I’m focused on the election of 33 days from now.”

Critics argue that Vance’s reluctance to affirm Trump’s 2020 loss is a strategy to appease the former president’s loyal base, while avoiding alienating more moderate voters who believe in the legitimacy of the 2020 results. His evasiveness during the vice presidential debate earlier this month, where he dodged the same question, has only fueled the backlash.

As the 2024 election nears, Vance’s inability to take a clear stance on Trump’s loss raises broader concerns about his leadership and transparency. For now, it appears the Ohio senator remains unwilling to give a straight answer.