Sen. J.D. Vance, the running mate of former President Donald Trump who frequently calls childless Americans psychotic sociopaths, explained in an interview released Friday why he told his 7-year-old son to "shut the hell up."
"I'm on the phone with Donald Trump," Vance told conservative podcasters the Nelk Boys. "I'm like, 'Son, shut the hell up for 30 seconds.'"
This father-son moment appears in Vance's lengthy narrative of the historic day when Trump told the Ohio Republican he'd been chosen to be the former president's running mate.
It was July 15, the first day of the Republican National Convention, and Vance and his family — including three kids aged 7, 4 and 2 — flew to Milwaukee to witness Trump's presidential nomination, he explained.
Vance tells the podcasters he had received a slew of messages during the flight, among them a warning from Trump's campaign that he should expect a "really important call."
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"So I'm like, 'Oh s---," Vance says. "A good call or a bad call, it's a really important call."
Vance explains he'd known for months he was on Trump's shortlist but did not get official notice until an hour later, when his family arrived at their Milwaukee hotel.
The next message from Trump's campaign wasn't the announcement, however, it was bad news, Vance says.
"I get another message from the same person who says, 'Hey, you just missed a really important call.'"
Vance immediately called Trump to say, "Hey Sir, what's going on?"
Trump taunted Vance, replying, "You missed a very important phone call and now I'm going to have to pick somebody else."
Meanwhile, Vance's 7-year-old son was trying to tell his dad about his latest obsession, the politician tells the podcasters.
"The crazy thing about it is my son, who's seven, is in the hotel room with me," Vance says. "And he's really into Pokemon cards right now. He's going through a Pokemon phase...he's trying to talk to me about Pikachu."
Vance says his son did not care that Trump was on the telephone because he "doesn't know what the President of the United States means."
"It's the most important phone call of my life," Vance told his son. "Please just let me take this phone call."
Vance has campaigned on his role as a father as he suggested policies that include raising taxes for childless Americans and giving parents extra votes.
The backlash Vances' conservative comments inspired — and Vice President Kamala Harris' energetic entry into the race — have some political insiders reporting Trump now regrets that "really important" call.
