
(DailyVantage.com) – CNN’s Dana Bash and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance had a heated exchange on Sunday during an interview that quickly turned contentious. Vance accused Bash of giving preferential treatment to Gov. Tim Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris in past interviews, allowing them to “coast” and giving them “multiple choice answers.” The confrontation escalated when Vance responded to Bash’s questioning about his controversial claims regarding Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
Vance, who has repeatedly insisted that his constituents told him migrants were “eating the pets,” confronted Bash, saying, “Dana, would you like to ask me questions and then let me answer them, or would you like to debate me on these topics?” Vance’s comments mirror a claim made by former President Donald Trump during a recent debate, where Trump also alleged that Haitian migrants were eating cats and dogs—though Ohio officials have dismissed these allegations as unsubstantiated.
Vance criticized Bash’s interviewing style, suggesting she handled Harris and Walz more leniently, while interrupting him frequently. “I’m happy to be here to talk about policy, but if you’re going to interrupt me every single time that I open my mouth, then why am I even doing this?” Vance said.
Bash countered, emphasizing that if Harris or Walz were making baseless claims with racist undertones, she would challenge them in the same way. She pointed out that she had conducted her own reporting in Ohio and noted that the claims about migrants were concerning local residents. “This is something that you’re hearing from constituents,” Bash said, highlighting that she spoke with people in Ohio who were worried about the influx of migrants.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 20,000 Haitians have arrived in Springfield, a town of 58,000, causing an increase in crime, mayhem, and accidents according to city officials. Vance argued that media coverage of these issues only began after he and Trump raised them, criticizing the media for ignoring the suffering of his constituents.
“The evidence is the firsthand account of my constituents who are telling me that this happened,” Vance said. He accused the media of neglecting these stories until he and Trump brought attention to them, arguing that they were forced to make noise to get the media’s focus. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Vance declared, accusing Bash of letting Harris off the hook for policies that he believes have harmed Americans.
Vance further criticized Harris for her role in casting the deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which he argued has led to increased costs of living. When Bash pressed him on whether he was admitting to fabricating stories, Vance clarified that he was referring to bringing media attention to the issues, not inventing events. “I didn’t create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris’ policies. Her policies did that,” Vance said, emphasizing that his role was to highlight the impact of those policies.
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