The Republican VP nominee made the tongue-in-cheek remark after US President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy
Republican vice-presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance joked that he is disappointed he will not get to debate US Vice President Kamala Harris, as she is now expected to replace the incumbent Joe Biden as the Democratic Party nominee for the upcoming November election.
Vance made the remark at a rally in Middletown, Ohio on Monday, a day after Biden withdrew from the presidential race.
“I was told I was going to debate Kamala Harris,” Vance said with a smile. “And now President Trump is going to get to debate her? I’m kind of pissed off about that, if I’m being honest with you.”
Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek re-election and will instead focus on fulfilling his presidential duties for the remainder of his term. The announcement came after weeks of pressure for him to step aside due to concerns about his mental and physical health, less than a month before the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin in Chicago.
Addressing voters at his former high school in Middletown, Trump’s running mate accused Harris and other “elite Democrats” of lying to the public about Biden’s fitness for office for the past three years, as well as his ability to run a successful campaign.
“Every single person who saw Joe Biden knew he wasn’t capable of doing the job, and for three years they said nothing until he became political deadweight,” Vance said. “That is not a way to run a country. That is not a way to run a political party. That is an insult to voters.”
Harris stated on Sunday that she intends to “earn and win” the presidential nomination at the DNC. According to media reports, Democrats see a debate between Harris and Trump as a way to salvage the party’s image after Biden’s disappointing performance in the June debate against the Republican frontrunner.
Influential Democrats, including former US President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reportedly expressed concerns for weeks about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump and get re-elected in November. According to NBC, Pelosi played a significant role in persuading Biden to withdraw from the race.
Before Biden dropped out of the race, Harris had accepted a CBS debate invitation for either July 23 or August 13, NBC reported. The Trump campaign had agreed to a Fox News-televised debate instead of a CBS one, and the terms of the debate between the two have not been finalized.