U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) may have attended Yale University Law School, but one political correspondent is questioning his "ignorance" concerning laws that help children and families.
Vance spent his few days as Donald Trump's running mate defending comments he made in 2021 attacking "single, childless cat ladies" and claiming that people without children should pay more in taxes.
NBC News' senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen stated that people who don't have children "honestly, already do" pay more in taxes.
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"I'm not sure whether that's something that's disingenuous on his part or something ignorant on his part as a United States senator to not know about things like dependent tax credits, child tax credits, about FSAs and all the various ways in which the federal government already gives advantage to people with children," said Allen.
Over the weekend, Vance appeared on Fox in an effort to explain away his comments and accuse Democrats of twisting his words on the matter. But in that interview, Vance doubled down on the idea that he should "pray for those people" who don't have children — suggesting that they are suffering.
"I think it has a long-term impact for a couple of reasons," Allen said about the statements. "When you listen to that clip, he's not allowing at all for the possibility that women might choose not to get pregnant in the first place, and it's their freedom to do so. This is a guy who talks about liberty, talks about freedom, talks about big government staying out of people's lives, here he is saying that big government should be in women's lives to the point that the government is, if not forcing them to become pregnant, to at least encourage them."
He added, "Talking insensitively about Americans is probably not a good way to attract them to vote for your ticket."
Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) said that it isn't only the cat lady comment that is of concern. Vance also said that women should be forced to stay in abusive relationships "for the children."
Brendan Buck, a former Republican aide to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), has a particular knowledge of what it's like for a lawmaker to run as a vice presidential running mate. He explained that it's rare for such a nominee to give the ticket a bump, but the choice can certainly pull it down.
He pointed to Vance as "scolding" the American people from the holier-than-thou position of a 39-year-old white male author and Ivy League graduate.
Allen closed the discussion by explaining that it's rare for anyone to be able to take a news cycle away from Trump, but that's what Vance has done.
"If you're the vice presidential candidate and sucking oxygen away from the presidential candidate — and who thought that would happen to Donald Trump at any point — you are hurting your ticket," Allen said.
See the full discussion below or at the link here.
'Ignorant on his part': Analyst points to J.D. Vance cluelessness on family law youtu.be
