Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance spared no punches as he roasted the GOP presidential candidates who debated without former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
“Whoever wins this debate may very well become secretary of the interior,” Vance said in a video posted on Twitter. The senator, surrounded by a crowd as he spoke, said he originally made the remark to a Politico reporter. (RELATED: Pro-Trump PAC Trolls GOP Rivals With ‘Vice Presidential Debate’ Website)
Senator @JDVance1: “Whoever wins this debate may very well become Secretary of the Interior.” pic.twitter.com/ctfyaaId51
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 10, 2023
Wednesday’s Miami debate was largely characterized by a lack of confrontation between individual candidates. Trump avoided the debate, slamming the candidates as “not watchable.”
Trump made a commitment to skip the GOP Presidential Primary debates in August and remains the front runner for the nomination. Trump currently leads his GOP contenders at 56.6%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following in second place at 14.1%, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Vance, who received Trump’s backing in his 2022 Senate campaign, has remained loyal to the former president. After his election, Vance said Trump should not be held responsible for GOP underperformance in the 2022 midterms. More recently, the senator pledged to stall Biden administration Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees in response to indictments against Trump.
“I objected this because we are living in a banana republic, where the president is using his Department of Justice to go after his chief political rival, the person he will appear on the ballot with in about a year,” Vance said.
“If the Department of Justice will use these nominations for a law instead of politics, I am happy to end this whole policy.”