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Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told donors on Saturday that President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election was a “sucker punch” to the Trump-Vance campaign as Vice President Kamala Harris “does not have the same baggage.”
According to the Washington Post, Vance told donors at a fundraiser in Minnesota that Harris’ presidential campaign was “bad news” for the Republican Party in 2024, with the Republican vice presidential nominee emphasizing Harris’ younger age and more popular record.
“All of us were hit with a little bit of a political sucker punch,” said Vance after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris for president. “The bad news is that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden, because whatever we might have to say, Kamala is a lot younger.”
He added, “And Kamala Harris is obviously not struggling in the same ways that Joe Biden did.”
Publicly, however, Vance has taken a different stance.
Speaking to reporters after Biden dropped out of the race two weeks ago, Vance insisted, “I don’t think the political calculus changes at all.”
He argued, “We were running against Joe Biden’s open border, Kamala Harris’s open border. Kamala Harris supported the green new scam. Kamala Harris, frankly, covered Joe Biden even though it was obvious he was mentally incompetent for a very long time.”
Former President Donald Trump slipped in the polls following Biden’s withdrawal, with one poll showing a 20-point lead for Harris among young voters.
“Back in February, just 62 percent of Democrats said they were enthusiastic about voting for Joe Biden,” noted CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten on Sunday. “Look at this now — woof! Up to 88 percent now say that they are enthusiastic about voting for Kamala Harris. That is a huge jump. That is a 26-point jump.”
Vance’s addition to the ticket did little to boost Trump’s numbers, with the vice presidential nominee currently sitting at a -6 approval rating.
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