As each day passes, it becomes harder to believe that J.D. Vance is one step closer to the presidency.Cat woman with no children“His suggestionVance's assertion that parents “should have more power than people without children” once again brings to light a hidden, hidden truth that haunts him.
Vance is currently “The least popular vice presidential candidate in modern history”Since becoming the Republican nominee, he has shown he isn't ready for prime time.
Senator's first term September 15th Interview with CNN. US News ReportsAfter initially claiming that the story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio came from first-hand testimony from a constituent, Rep. Vance “admitted to CNN's Dana Bash that he and former President Donald Trump created the false story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio in order to fuel media coverage of immigration issues.”
The admission followed a common complaint about the media: “The American media completely ignored this until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” Vance suggested. “If I have to create a story to get the American media to actually pay attention to the suffering of the American people, then I will.”
“You just said you were 'creating' a story.” Bash Responded “You just said this was a story you made up,” she repeated. Vance replied, “Yes!”, then tried desperately to cover his tracks.
Vance Apparently he learned from former President Trump.a master of deception. But as shocking as Vance's confession was, his candor was refreshing. Trump Never admit it When he lies, even if it's against solid evidence, as Matthew Iglesias puts it, Said in 2017 Trump is more than just a liar; he's a big liar.
“Liars want to be seen as telling the truth,” Iglesias explains. “Liars want to be seen as telling the truth. But one liar doesn't care. That's Trump. During the 2016 campaign, Trump repeatedly said that America is the 'highest taxed country in the world,' which is far from the truth. And yet, despite being called out time and time again, he continued to say it.”
Listening to Vance on CNN, it didn't seem like he cared much about whether what he said about Haitian immigrants was true.
It's not news when politicians lie (like Trump). His vice presidential candidate It may belong to a special category. Various authors have written about it over the years. Various justifications have been offeredBecause they lied in politics.
Plato, the famous ancient Greek philosopher, He defended what he called “the noble lie.”That is, policies that will have “positive effects” and make people “care more about their country and each other.”
But in Plato's view, the noble lie required the strongest justification: it was the exception in political life, not the rule.
Niccolo Machiavelli, a 16th century Italian thinker, expressed a different view “Our experience shows that the most accomplished princes did not attach much importance to keeping their promises, but knew how to deceive the minds of the people by their shrewdness and cunning. In the end, these princes defeated those who relied on keeping their promises.”
There was nothing noble about Vance's pet-eating tale, and his lies did not make people care more about one another. It's the exact opposite.
Vance also said that MAGA followers Highly resistant They condemn the lies told by the leaders of their cause. That's why pointing out how many lies Trump has told means little to his supporters. Or that Vance is calling Trump “American Hitler”Before he was elected to Congress
According to a 2018 article in the New York Times: Daniel Efron is“In his first 400 days in office, President Trump has made more than 2,400 false or misleading claims. Some of his supporters undoubtedly believe many of those falsehoods. Others may know the claims are false but accept them as a side effect of the improvisational rhetorical style they admire. Or they may have become desensitized to the extent of the dishonesty.”
For Efron, the key to understanding why Trump and Vance's supporters tolerate so many fabrications is that they are filtered through a partisan lens. When a falsehood “resonates with people's politics,” people tend to “consider the possibility that the falsehood was true.” This strategy “can convince supporters that it's not so unethical for political leaders to lie.”
Another explanation is that MAGA followers He sympathizes with Trump and sees him as someone who embodies the “will of the people.” “They believe his lies because they believe what he's saying is to help them. In their view, the unfounded claims about immigrants eating dogs and cats are just part of Trump and Vance's efforts to protect Americans from the dangers of illegal immigration.”
This is what journalist Daniel Dale say“Despite his seemingly endless supply of hyperbole, unsubstantiated accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods, Trump has also managed the remarkable feat of maintaining a reputation for rare integrity among millions of Americans.”
In this context, advocates ViewRepublican candidates' lies are “not character flaws but rather weapons of war”; they are embraced as a means to “win the moment.”
Finally, Trump and Vance can get away with lying because they appeal to an angry base. Georgetown University psychologists Jeremy Yip and Maurice Schweitzer write: i got you“Angry people are less concerned about the welfare of others and, as a result, are more likely to engage in selfish and unethical behavior… (including selfish deception).”
As the 2024 campaign draws to a close, it remains to be seen whether Vance will fully embrace Trump's world of distortions and lies — and his brutal lies about Haitian immigrants are no silver lining.
Matt Lewis explain“In the MAGA culture wars, you have to break eggs to make an omelette. What's notable this time is that Vance admitted to breaking eggs on air.”
“It's one thing for a politician to lie about their background or voting record,” he continues, “but it's quite another to lie about innocent and vulnerable people whose lives may now be at risk.”
Lewis asks the right question: “What kind of person would do that?”
In the case of J.D. Vance, the answer is that he is the kind of man Machiavelli would be proud of, and on November 5th, voters will decide whether this is the man they want entrusted with helping shape the destiny of our country and the world.
Austin SurrattHe is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law and Political Science at Amherst College. His views do not necessarily reflect those of Amherst College.
