Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that he accepted multiple electoral votes because if he had been vice president in 2020, “the United States Congress should have fought for it.” He said he would have done so.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You mentioned it as Donald Trump’s running mate. If you were Vice President on January 6th, would you have certified the election results?
Vance: Oh, George, this is a really stupid question, in part because the law has changed here. Of course, there were major legal changes to the electoral count law.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, I haven’t heard anything about the future. I asked you what you would do. I asked you what you would do.
Vance: George, this is what I think, what I think happened in 2020. And I know you guys are obsessed with talking about this. I have to point out here. You always tell people like me why we talk about January 6th, why we talk about the 2020 election, and how many times you ask us about it during a six-minute interview. Continuing.
But look, you asked a question, so I’ll answer it. Do you think there were problems in 2020? Yes, I do. Do you think it was a problem that big tech companies worked with intelligence agencies to censor Donald Trump’s presidential campaign? Yes. Do you think it’s a problem that Pennsylvania changed its voting rules in the middle of election season in a way that even some courts in Pennsylvania have called illegal? Yes, I think these were problems, George, and I think there are political solutions to these problems.
Therefore, I believe that litigating which electoral rolls were legitimate is a fundamental political solution to the problems that existed in 2020. That’s a reasonable argument. And I find it strange, George, that people like you are so obsessed with what I call what happened in 2020, what actually happened in 2020. I’m very interested in why so many people in this country distrust our elections. You have to do better, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m not interested in the slightest. In fact, you mentioned it at length there, but you didn’t answer the question. I asked if you would have certified the election results if you were vice president.
Vance: If I had been vice president, I would have told Pennsylvania, Georgia, and many other states that they needed multiple electoral votes, and from there I think the U.S. Congress should have fought for it. That’s the legitimate way to deal with an election that many people, including myself, think had a lot wrong with 2020. I think that’s what we should have done.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I mean, it’s very clear. You would have done what Donald Trump asked you to do there, not what Vice President Mike Pence did. You said that was in the past, but of course Donald Trump —
Vance: No, no, George – George, it’s not – no, no, George, it’s not about what – it’s not about what –
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, that’s what you just said.
Vance: George, it’s not about what Donald Trump wants from anyone. It’s about what you do when something like what happened in 2020 happens. How do you answer that? How will the political system respond to this? For example, you can’t have a news organization that sees intelligence agencies collaborating with technology companies to censor Americans and says, “We can’t deal with this.” This problem has no solution.
By the way, George, I don’t want to talk about this because I think what happened in 2020 is far less important than what happened after 2020. The wide-open southern border, the fentanyl crisis plaguing our communities, and the inflation crisis make it difficult for Americans to live a fulfilling middle-class life. We need to litigate these issues in the 2024 election.
You guys are crazy about talking about 2020. I’m happy to answer questions, but I think it’s a disservice to the American people that you’re preoccupied with that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, President Trump is into that, too. He was the one who was talking about amnesty for those who took part in the riots. And you answered exactly the question. You will refuse to recertify the election.
