J.D. Vance Friday drew a parallel between Kamala Harris saying she would like politics to lift people up and Donald Trump's jokes at the expense of other people.
The vice president said she'd like to help bring about a culture shift that was more uplifting than politics have been since the former reality TV star entered the scene, but Vance told CNN that he thought Americans should be forced to tolerate Trump's trademark insults and conspiracy theories in good humor.
"So Vice President Harris in the interview last night, said she'd like to see a culture shift, not based on you beating people down, a politics where you beat people down, but a politics where you lift people up," said CNN's John Berman. "How do you feel about that? How do you feel about the idea of lifting people up in politics?"
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Vance took the opportunity to bash the vice president's economic record, and he seemingly suggested that Trump's frequently churlish social media posts might help improve the economy.
"Look, I think it's a great idea, John, the problem is that Kamala Harris hasn't governed like that during her three-and-a-half years as vice president," Vance said. "If she wants to tackle the affordability crisis, if she wants to lift people up and inspire this country, why hasn't she done it for the last three-and-a-half years? I think most Americans think that we're on the wrong track. I think what Donald Trump ... really believes is the way to lift people up is to open the country to all voices, to not try to censor people that you disagree with have a conversation with somebody rather than try to shut them up. We have to remember back in 2019 that Kamala Harris wanted to kick Donald Trump off of all social media."
"We believe in debating and having a conversation with our fellow Americans, agree or disagree," Vance added. "That's how you lift this country up, not by shutting people down, making life unaffordable for their families."
Berman seemed perplexed by Vance's response and asked if he had seen his running mate's social media posts over the past couple of days.
"You are talking about Donald Trump's social media," Berman said. "Would you describe his posts over the last 48 hours as lifting people up? Reposting QAnon statements, reposting these misogynistic memes about Vice President Harris and Hillary Clinton? That's the kind of open discussion that you think think he's lifting people up?"
Vance stated that he did think Trump's posts were uplifting because they were meant to be jokes, and he suggested that Berman was being a fuddydud.
"I think if you look at Donald Trump's full campaign appearances and yes, social media appearances, what you see is two things – a guy with an agenda to lower prices and bring back American prosperity and a political candidate who isn't stodgy, who likes to have some fun and likes to tell some jokes," Vance said. "I'd much rather have a candidate who's willing to go off script, who's willing to give every interview and is willing to tell some jokes. I do think that's how you lift people up. A politics of boring scolds telling people they can't laugh. That is not lifting Americans up, that's how to tear us down."
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