In the months since he became 鈥檚 running mate, Ohio Sen. has repeatedly deflected questions about whether the Republican presidential nominee lost the 2020 election, saying he was focused on the future.
During a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, where Vance was asked by a reporter about his lack of straight answers so far, he was more declarative.
鈥淲hat message do you think it sends to independent voters when you do not directly answer the question 鈥楧id Donald Trump lose in 2020?鈥欌�� the reporter asked, eliciting boos from the crowd before Vance responded, saying he has answered the question 鈥漚 million times."
鈥淣o. I think there were serious problems in 2020,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淪o, did Donald Trump lose the election? Not by the words that I would use, OK?鈥�
The answer was the most specific Vance has been on the subject, and a departure from the series of evasions he has offered about the election Trump continues to say without evidence was decided fraudulently in favor of Democrat Joe Biden.
During a debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz this month, Vance was asked about the 2020 election but responded that he was 鈥渇ocused on the future.鈥�
Vance鈥檚 refusal to say whether Trump lost was widely considered his weakest debate moment with Walz, the governor of Minnesota, who called the response 鈥渁 .鈥� The campaign for Democratic presidential nominee quickly turned the exchange into a television ad.
During an interview with The New York Times, Vance refused five times to acknowledge Biden won.
Trump's continued denial that he lost the election to Biden is a widely held opinion among the Republican's base of supporters. He warned an audience in Nevada last week, 鈥淲e never want to have happen what happened in 2020.鈥�
Trump has continued to say without evidence that he expects his opponents to 鈥渃heat鈥� in the 2024 election and has urged his supporters to turn out in numbers to make his vote tally 鈥渢oo big to rig.鈥�
Thomas Beaumont, The Associated Press
