The campaign for Kamala Harris piled onto Sen. J.D. Vance, over comments he made to rally-goers Thursday, in which he lamented that school shootings are a "fact of life."
“If these psychos are going to go after our kids we’ve got to be prepared for it,” Vance told MAGA supporters in Phoenix, according to The Associated Press. “We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We’ve got to deal with it.”
When he was asked by a journalist what could prevent school shootings, the Republican vice presidential nominee said stricter gun laws won't help, but praised Congressional efforts to boost security in schools.
“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We’ve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they’re not able.”
Vance's comments came after a 14-year-old gunman killed two classmates and two teachers at a Georgia high school on Wednesday. Nine others were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. He and his father face murder charges in the mass shooting.
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The comment generated widespread backlash on social media — as well as criticism from the right over AP's headline, prompting the organization to change it.
And on Thursday night, the Harris-Walz campaign joined the internet in attacking Vance and former President Trump.
"Yesterday Vice President Harris said 'it doesn't have to be this way' in response to another senseless school shooting," the campaign said. "Donald Trump and JD Vance think school shootings are a 'fact of life' and 'we have to get over it.'"
Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, believe the country can "take action" to keep kids safe and guns out of the hands of criminals, the campaign added.
"Donald Trump and JD Vance will always choose the NRA and gun lobby over our children. That is the choice in this election."
