Tim Ryan Accuses Fox of Delivering Softballs to J.D. Vance During Town Hall: ‘Tough One for You, How Do You Spell J.D.?’

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) accused Fox News of delivering softball questions to his Republican opponent J.D Vance and referred to his recent town hall appearance on the network as a “character test.”

Appearing on Morning Joe on Friday, co-host Willie Geist asked Ryan about the appearance and the Democratic congressman revealed “a lot of people” warned him not to appear on Fox News, claiming it wouldn’t be “on the level.”

“Maybe we agree five out of ten times, but my door is going to be open whether you vote for me or not, and you have to go there. And we’ve got more commentary about having the guts to go into that place, you know, going into the lion’s den. You score points with people because you got guts and you stand your ground. So it was a character test more than it was about any particular issue,” Ryan explained.

He also threw in a dig at his Donald Trump-endorsed opponent, mocking the questions he received from the network.

“J.D. Vance, I mean, the questions they were asking him, they were like, ‘J.D., we’ve got a tough one for you. How do you spell J.D.?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I’m watching him going, it’s insane,” Ryan said.

The Democrat earned some boos from the Fox News town hall audience, but also got some applause, including when he declared the country should “go back to Roe v. Wade.” Vance got a mostly warm reception, but was also pushed to answer questions on some controversies, including stating that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.”

After the event, he told MSNBC that his motivation for doing the town hall was to reach out to “gettable” voters who feel they don’t have a political home.

“I went on Fox News because you have got to go in the lion’s den to even be able to access those other people. And we are. And that’s why we are going to win this race,” he said.

Watch above via MSNBC

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