JD Vance Attempted To Turn The Tables On Walz—But It Backfired Spectacularly

***DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on August 8, 2024***

JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is out there trying to flip the script on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who, as you may remember, is now the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

So, in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vance decided to go after Governor Walz, not on policy or the issues, but on how he greeted his wife on stage. Yes, you heard that right. Vance is critiquing that Walz, wait for it, shook his wife’s hand before hugging her at a rally in Philadelphia. Now, I don’t know about you, but when the handshake habits of a candidate become a talking point, it’s probably time to wonder what’s really going on in this campaign.

Vance called the handshake “weird,” and accused Walz and Kamala Harris of being uncomfortable in their own skin. It’s a classic case of projection, according to Vance. He contrasted it with how he hugged and kissed his wife after his first speech as the Republican nominee. Because apparently, that’s the barometer we’re using now.

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But let’s not get distracted. This is a tried-and-true tactic—when you’re light on substance, you pivot to something trivial, hoping no one notices you’ve got nothing meaningful to say.

What’s really at play here is a deflection. Vance is trying to turn the attention away from the fact that Democrats, especially Tim Walz, have been hammering the “weird” label on Vance ever since he made those infamous remarks about “childless cat ladies” running the country. Remember that? He wasn’t talking about policy; he was talking about people like Kamala Harris, making it personal and weird.

And now, with Election Day creeping closer, the stakes have never been higher. Vance is out there trying to reshape the narrative, trying to make this election about anything but the issues that matter—anything but the stark contrast between the policies of the Biden-Harris administration and the ones he’s trying to resurrect from the Trump years.

Many didn’t stay silent after Vance’s comments. They quickly took to social media to make their voices heard and tell Vance exactly what they thought.