J.D. Vance, a candidate in Ohio’s Senate race and the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” apologized Monday for past tweets criticizing former President Donald Trump.
“Like a lot of people, I criticized Trump back in 2016,” Vance said Monday. “And I ask folks not to judge me based on what I said in 2016, because I’ve been very open that I did say those critical things and I regret them, and I regret being wrong about the guy. I think he was a good president, I think he made a lot of good decisions for people, and I think he took a lot of flak.”
“I think … the most important thing, is not what you said five years ago, but whether you’re willing to stand up and take the heat and take the hits for actually defending the interests of the American people,” Vance said.
In the Mediaite clip, Vance called Trump a “good president” and said the two recently met at Mar-a-Lago. Vance is running to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman, but faces a crowded GOP primary filled with candidates vying for Trump’s endorsement. (RELATED: Tech Billionaire Gives $10 Million To Pro-Vance Super PAC)
CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski uncovered tweets from Vance saying that he was going to vote for third-party candidate Evan McMullin in 2016. Vance also called Trump “reprehensible” ahead of the 2016 election, and said “Lord help us” in response to the Access Hollywood tape.
JD Vance deleted his tweet about voting for Evan McMullin.
It was here: https://t.co/4k1Xk8AMgv
But still can be viewed on the WebArchive.https://t.co/uLcCLkbur3 pic.twitter.com/LNofBemmsL
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) July 1, 2021
Deleted from the day of Access Hollywood, “Lord help us.” pic.twitter.com/5ooexbNUhn
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) July 1, 2021
Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who is also trying to win the pivotal seat, said that Vance’s not voting for Trump was the only thing the two had in common after his tweets gained traction.
.@JDVance1 and I have exactly one thing in common — neither of us voted for Donald Trump. https://t.co/9nyZBK9Hnc
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) July 1, 2021
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