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Despite a media uproar over his past remarks, particularly those from a 2021 Fox News interview where he complained that the country was run by “childless cat ladies,” Vance is pushing forward. His reception, according to recent polls, has been lukewarm. A new ABC News-Ipsos poll shows him with a 32% favorable rating against a 44% unfavorable rating, significantly trailing behind Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who holds a 42% favorable to 31% unfavorable rating. However, there are still some positives for Vance.
“J.D. never had a honeymoon — he had a hurricane, but I think a lot of that is in the rearview mirror now,” Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder, told the New York Times. “He’s further animated the conservative base and also voters we are looking to run up the score with, which are white working-class voters and young male voters.”
Several of Vance’s recent interviews came after Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz spoke with CNN reporter Dana Bash in a joint televised discussion last week. Shortly after their interview, Vance appeared on Fox News’s Fox and Friends, criticizing Harris for flipping on issues, claiming she “governed as a far-left person” regardless of the positions she expressed during her CNN interview.
Vance’s strategy, according to a top adviser who spoke to Axios, involves seeking press conferences or media Q&A sessions at most events he attends. His goal is to engage with the media beyond the “MAGA base.”
“He can often be combative, but he’s not trying to own the libs when he engages with the MSM — he’s trying to persuade the middle,” the adviser said.
While these efforts may or may not sway voters, they have reportedly won Trump’s approval. The New York Times noted that Trump advised Vance to respond forcefully to attacks and that Vance’s performance surpassed Trump’s expectations.
Despite criticism of Trump’s decision to select Vance as his running mate, with some arguing it failed to “expand the tent” of Trump voters and instead doubled down on a populist message, Vance has not shied away from the critique. Instead, he’s embraced it, making his views clear to the media.
