Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) defended former President Donald Trump’s recent comments about deploying the military on election day, insisting that the media had taken Trump’s remarks “out of context.” The exchange took place during a campaign event in Pennsylvania when Peter Zampa of Gray Television questioned Vance about Trump’s controversial statement.
Zampa referenced Trump’s recent suggestion that the military might need to “handle the enemy from within” on election day. “What exactly does that mean?” Zampa asked.
In response, Vance dismissed the concerns, stating, “The media likes to hang their hat on something that Donald Trump said, they take it out of context.” He argued that Trump’s comments were not a call for military intervention against voters but a broader statement about maintaining law and order.
Vance pointed to the riots that occurred in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death as a way to justify Trump’s remarks. “We have various far-left activists who are talking about civil unrest in this country if Donald Trump were to be elected president again,” Vance explained. “If you have people who are rioting in American streets, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, whatever their political persuasion is, we are not going to let that happen.”
The Republican vice presidential nominee emphasized Trump’s commitment to enforcing law and order, claiming this was the true context behind Trump’s statement. “We believe in law and order in this country,” Vance said. “That’s what Donald Trump is talking about, and I think it’s very simple.”
Vance’s comments aimed to reframe Trump’s military remarks as a defense of stability and order, rather than a direct threat to voters or election processes. However, critics continue to express concern about the potential implications of such statements during an already contentious political climate.