Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told the crowd at a rally on Tuesday in Henderson, Nevada, that America should “fire” Vice President Kamala Harris and replace her with Donald Trump.
Vance was speaking about U.S. trade policy and Kamala Harris’ position on trade.
“She voted – even after it was obvious it was a mistake – she voted to preserve NAFTA, the very trade deal that sent American jobs to Mexico and turned the American dream into nightmares,” Vance told the crowd. “I say we oughta fire Kamala Harris and replace her with Donald Trump.”
The senator from Ohio was referring to a 2020 Senate vote on United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement which, under Trump’s administration, replaced NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which had been in place since 1993. Kamala Harris was one of 10 senators who voted against the new deal, saying it lacked sufficient environmental provisions.
While at the rally Vance’s comments drew applause, on social media people appeared confused by his remarks, pointing out that the constitution doesn’t allow the public to “fire” a vice president.
It’s also not clear whether Vance meant Trump should serve as vice president under Biden for the remainder of his administration.
This is not the first time Vance’s statements have caused a stir.
In July 2021 he said the country is run by ” childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives.” The clip resurfaced last week and sparked outrage, despite Trump’s attempts at defending it.
Vance also suggested that people’s votes should count more if they have children. In a 2021 speech for the conservative organization Intercollegiate Studies Institute, he said: “You should have more of a power, more of an ability to speak your voice in our democratic republic than people who don’t have kids. Let’s face the consequences and the reality. If you don’t have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn’t get nearly the same voice.”
Vance also made headlines with his position on reproductive rights. The republican candidate for VP has previously supported nationwide abortion ban even in the case of rape.
“It’s not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, it’s whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society. The question really, to me, is about the baby,” said Vance in 2021.
Newsweek has reached out to JD Vance for a comment via Donald Trump’s campaign team.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
