Vance, Ryan trade blows in nasty second Ohio U.S. Senate debate
On Monday, Republican J.D. Vance and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) went head to head for a second debate in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race. The two candidates tried to appeal to undecided voters in the closely-watched race that shows polls in a virtual tie just three weeks before November’s midterm elections.
Video Transcript
- Mr. Vance, Congressman Ryan has called you Donald Trump's ass kisser. The implication being, you will pay any price for the endorsement and support of the former President who publicly insulted you in Youngstown. To prove the Congressman wrong and to show Ohio voters that you are your own man, I would like you to identify one issue that Mr. Trump is wrong about, and therefore, deserving of public criticism.
J.D. VANCE: Well look, I disagree with the President on a number of things. He's a friend of mine, of course, and I'm proud to have his endorsement, but look, the thing that was wrong about the Trump administration is they put a lot of people in the administration, a lot of bad personnel folks who actually advocated limitless, non-stop wars that would mean a lot of folks from Mahoning Valley and a lot of folks from where I grew up would have to go off and fight those wars. A guy like John Bolton, for example, should have never been National Security Advisor in the Trump administration. But let me address Tim Ryan's point and your question there.
Donald Trump told a joke. He told a joke at a rally based on a false "New York Times" story. And Tim Ryan has decided to run his entire campaign on it. Now look, Tim Ryan is publicly out there on national television saying, I love Nancy Pelosi.
What was it? A few months ago, he went before a national audience and said that he has to suck up and kiss up to Chuck Schumer. The guy who's subservient to the National party is Tim Ryan, who's been begging for these guys to come into this race and save him from the campaign that he's been running. So look, it's ridiculous for him to accuse me of being anything because he has utterly failed to be independent, to represent this Valley, and he will utterly fail to represent the people of Ohio If he's elected to the United States Senate.
- So just so I get this straight, when the former President said JD is kissing my ass because he wants my support, you took that as a joke?
J.D. VANCE: I know the President very well and absolutely, he was joking about a "New York Times" story. That's all he was doing. I didn't take offense to it. I talked to the President before it, I talked to the President afterwards.
Everybody there took it as a joke. This guy goes on national TV and says, I love Nancy Pelosi, and has the audacity of accusing me of kissing anyone's rear end. It's pretty rich.
- I would like you to point to an issue that Speaker Pelosi has totally bungled, and therefore, deserves public repudiation.
TIM RYAN: Well, let me just first say that this is obviously a clip that JD's running to try to misrepresent people. I ran against Nancy Pelosi, JD, for leadership. And you have to have the courage to take on your own leaders. These leaders in DC--
J.D. VANCE: Why don't you vote against them?
TIM RYAN: They will eat you up like a chew toy, right? I mean, you were calling Trump America's Hitler, then he kissed his ass.
J.D. VANCE: That's not true.
TIM RYAN: It is true. And then you kissed his ass, and then he endorsed you and you said he's the greatest President of all time. Mitch McConnell gave you $40 million to prop up your campaign. Peter Thiel gave you $15 million.
That's $55 million, JD. What do you think they want for that? They want your loyalty and you proved that you'll kiss their ass too. And look, it's nothing personal.
I'm just telling you like I've been in this business. It's tough business. If you think you're going to help Ohio, you're not. If you can't even stand up for yourself, how are you going to stand up for the people of this state?
How are you going to take on the corporate interests? All the money you took are from the corporations who sent all our jobs overseas. Peter Thiel, $15 million, buddy, what do you think he wants?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Can you answer the question?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
TIM RYAN: We have a--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Hold on, JD. Stop interrupting.
J.D. VANCE: No, this is disgusting.
- I'd like to get one more--
J.D. VANCE: Here's exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in the great replacement theory. I'll tell you--
TIM RYAN: You were peddling it.
J.D. VANCE: I'll tell you exactly--
TIM RYAN: You were peddling it.
J.D. VANCE: --what happens, Tim. What happens is that my own children, my biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you'll accuse me, the father of three, beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We are sick of it. You can believe in a border without being a racist.
You can believe in the country without being a racist. And this just shows how desperate this guy is for political power. I know you've been in office for 20 years, Tim, and I know it's a sweet gig, but you're so desperate not to have a real job that you'll slander me and slander my family. It's disgraceful.
- Thank you, Mr. Vance.
TIM RYAN: Hold on Derek.
- Real quick.
TIM RYAN: I think I've struck a nerve.
- We got to get one more question in.
TIM RYAN: I think I struck a nerve with this guy.
J.D. VANCE: You absolutely struck a nerve.
TIM RYAN: He's obviously--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
He's obviously--
J.D. VANCE: Normal people, Tim Ryan--
TIM RYAN: JD, I don't--
J.D. VANCE: --when you insult their families, you strike a nerve with normal people.
TIM RYAN: I would never talk about your family, JD. I wasn't raised that way. I would never talk about your family. So don't try to spin this because you don't want to talk about the fact that you're with the extremists and that belief, which is grounded going back decades, led to some crazy dude getting a gun and going to a Black grocery store.
J.D. VANCE: It is disgusting and I've never endorsed it. It's disgusting.
TIM RYAN: JD, you talk about it and you're running around--
J.D. VANCE: It's such an unbelievable accusation, Tim.
TIM RYAN: You're running around with Marjorie Taylor Greene--
J.D. VANCE: To believe in a border, Tim Ryan thinks that you endorse the great replacement theory.
TIM RYAN: No.
J.D. VANCE: It's unbelievable.
- All right, candidates.
J.D. VANCE: This is what you do. You join Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer calling your own people racist for daring to believe in a border of their own country.
TIM RYAN: I'm not calling--
J.D. VANCE: This is the game that he plays.
- All right, thank you.
TIM RYAN: I hope you feel better, JD.
- Let's refocus. We're--
