How One Question From Walz Exposed Vance's Extremism & Broke His Facade
How One Question From Walz Exposed Vance's Extremism & Broke His Facade
By refusing to admit Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance shattered his polished mirage, unraveling his effort to sanitize his extremism. In this moment, Vance’s authoritarianism was laid bare.
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At the end of Tuesday night’s Vice Presidential Debate, Tim Walz had his strongest moment, and J.D Vance’s authoritarianism was laid bare for all to see.
There’s been a lot of talk of style, but here, the substance is what matters, and that’s what I’m focusing on.
My biggest frustration throughout the debate was Vance's dishonest attempts to make his extremism palatable. Through a polite demeanor, in a stark departure from his behavior over the past several months, Vance unleashed a firehose of lies about everything from immigration to Trump’s record on healthcare. It’s clear Vance’s goal was to make himself appear more normal and to make an intellectual case for Trumpism. But at the end of the debate, that effort all came crashing down.
Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) pressed Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) to admit that Trump lost the 2020 election, and Vance refused. At that moment, Walz shattered the mirage Vance was presenting to the American people. That moment showcased the extremism Vance was desperately trying to sanitize throughout the debate.
The exchange began with CBS moderator Norah O’Donnell turning to the issue of January 6 and asking Vance about his past remarks about certifying the vote: “Senator Vance, you have said you would not have certified the last Presidential election and would have asked the states to submit alternative electors. That has been called unconstitutional and illegal. Would you again seek to challenge this year's election results, even if every Governor certifies the results?”
Vance deflected, claiming he’s “focused on the future,” reiterated that there were “problems” with the 2020 election, downplayed the plot to overturn the 2020 election, and falsely claimed the real threat to democracy is a non-existent censorship threat from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Tim Walz responded by outlining the reality of January 6 and proclaiming, “Donald Trump refused to acknowledge this. And the fact is, is that I don't think we can be the frog in the pot and let the boiling water go up. He was very clear. I mean, he lost this election, and he said he didn't.”
J.D. Vance then erased January 6 by saying that Trump “peacefully gave over power on January 20” and then claimed that both parties have questioned election outcomes. Vance falsely equated Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election to Democratic rhetoric in 2016 and downplayed Russian interference in that election as simply buying Facebook ads.
Walz then began his best jab of the night: “January 6th was not Facebook ads. And I think a revisionist history on this… This was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen. And it manifested itself because of Donald Trump's inability to say, he is still saying he didn't lose the election. I would just ask that. Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz turned to look at Vance.
Vance replied: “Tim, I'm focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
Walz reacted: “That is a damning non-answer.”
Vance then entered another false screed about Harris and censorship that isn’t worth wasting my newsletter space quoting here. Walz’s final word on this does, however, deserve to be quoted.
These were the final remarks before closing statements, and Walz was clearer than he was the entire night:
“This is not a debate. It's not anything anywhere other than in Donald Trump's world, because, look, when Mike Pence made that decision to certify that election, that's why Mike Pence isn't on this stage. What I'm concerned about is where is the firewall with Donald Trump? Where is the firewall if he knows he could do anything, including taking an election and his Vice President's not going to stand to it. That's what we're asking you, America. Will you stand up? Will you keep your oath of office even if the President doesn't? And I think Kamala Harris would agree. She wouldn't have picked me if she didn't think I would do that because, of course, that's what we would do. So, America, I think you've got a really clear choice on this election of who's going to honor that democracy and who's going to honor Donald Trump.”
Pointing out the fact former Vice President Mike Pence isn’t on that stage because he certified the election was as strong a visual as you could get on this. Walz’s closing appeal to the American people was also powerful.
Let’s get into why this exchange exposing Vance’s extremism was so important.
Why J.D. Vance’s Election Denialism Non-Answer Matters
Throughout the debate, J.D. Vance sought to repair his image and minimize the extremism of the Trump-Vance ticket. The truth is Vance holds the most extreme and authoritarian beliefs of any vice presidential nominee in history, and he mirrors the beliefs of Project 2025 and his wannabe authoritarian boss, Donald Trump.
Let’s start with the straightforward danger of Vance’s election denialism.
As Norah O’Donnell pointed out, J.D. Vance has said he would not have certified the 2020 election if he had been Vice President, and would have allowed states to submit fake Trump electors. This is likely a key reason Donald Trump selected him. Trump remains furious with Mike Pence for not aiding his plot to overturn the 2020 election on January 6.
This is important because there’s a scenario where the Republican candidate in 2028, whether J.D. Vance himself or another Republican, loses the election, and a potential Vice President J.D. Vance could attempt to do what Mike Pence refused to do, in spite of a new law that seeks to prevent this scenario. Would the Supreme Court prevent Vance from doing that? It’s unclear.
In the shorter term, Donald Trump and the RNC have organized their operation around challenging the results of the 2024 election. Election officials, as we’ve seen in the Georgia Election Board, have made rule changes that give them a dangerous tool for disrupting certification. Having Vance on the ticket is an affirmation of this effort.
Vance’s non-answer on the 2020 election is also important because of what it signals to voters. Election denialism has become a key signifier of extremism, with the majority of voters believing President Biden won the election “fair and square.” In the 2022 midterms, election denialism was a critical issue. In 13 races in six key battleground states where an election denier ran for governor, secretary of state, or attorney general, all 13 lost. Election denialism is a political loser.
Vance’s response was a moment where Americans were reminded of the extremism that has come to define Vance. Evidence of that can be found in an undecided voter, who told CNN that they will now be voting for Kamala Harris because of J.D. Vance’s answer on the 2020 election: “I don't think I can trust someone with my vote if they're not going to respect it.”
Beyond election certification, Vance’s history of extreme views is well-documented. J.D. Vance has explicitly endorsed key policies in Project 2025, such as replacing tens of thousands of civil servants with trained Trump loyalists. It’s why Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, whose foreword to his book was authored by Vance, said the organization was "rooting for” Vance to be VP.
Vance has also opposed abortion, said Trump should ignore Supreme Court rulings, wants to end aid to Ukraine in a move that empowers Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has openly praised far-right authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán.
Here’s the truth Americans need to keep in mind as they look at Vance’s debate performance: If Donald Trump is the leader of the MAGA movement, then J.D. Vance will be its enforcer and operator in a potential second term, inflicting their extremist worldview on Americans, which directly aligns with Project 2025.
J.D. Vance isn’t some polite populist who cares about the American people. He’s a Trump loyalist, far-right authoritarian who is willing to do anything in his pursuit of power, whether he’s spreading dehumanizing lies about migrants or disparaging women. That is who he is.
As Walz said, “America, I think you've got a really clear choice on this election of who's going to honor that democracy and who's going to honor Donald Trump.”
