Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) said GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance referred to former President Donald Trump as America’s Hiter,” before he later “kissed his ass” for an endorsement.
The comment opened Monday’s final debate between the candidates before the Nov. 8 election. Ryan was asked if he could think of an issue House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) deserves “repudiation” for.
Ryan replied he challenged Pelosi for her leadership position in 2016 and then ripped Vance on his record regarding Trump.
“I ran against Nancy Pelosi, J.D., for leadership,” he said. “You have to have the courage to take on your own leaders. These leaders in D.C., they will eat you up like a chew toy.”
Ryan added:
You were calling Trump America’s Hitler [crosstalk] and then you kissed his ass, and then he endorsed you, and then you said he was 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, J.D. What do you think they want for that? They want your loyalty. And you proved you’ll kiss their ass, too.
Vance protested that Ryan’s “America’s Hitler” remark was “not true.”
Following Ryan’s remarks, the debate’s moderator reminded Vance that Trump bragged at a rally last month, “J.D. is kissing my ass… He wants my support so much.”
Vance wrote off the remark as a joke, and also denied he ever called Trump “America’s Hitler.”
Vance did oppose Trump in 2016. After he announced his candidacy, he sought and received the former president’s endorsement in the race.
Text messages made public by Vance’s former roommate earlier this year showed the Republican once questioned whether Trump might be an American fascist or a “cynical asshole” like former President Richard Nixon.
The screenshot below is @JDVance1’s unfiltered explanation from 2016 of the breakdown in Republican politics that he now personally is trying to exploit.
The “America’s Hitler” bit is at the end.
The public deserves to know the magnitude of this guy’s bad faith. pic.twitter.com/79Z0qSWFWF
— Josh McLaurin (@JoshforGeorgia) April 18, 2022
Watch above, via WFMJ.
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