JD Vance Slams New York Times Reporter

At a Michigan rally, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) turned a question from a New York Times reporter about recent economic data, showing inflation at under 3%, into a critique of the current administration.

Vance argued that despite the reported decrease, prices for essentials remain significantly higher than during Donald Trump’s presidency, prompting a negative reaction from the audience.

“I wanted to ask you about the latest economic news from this morning with inflation now being under 3%, the lowest rate since mid-2021. What is your reaction to that news?” the Times reporter asked.

“Well, I think the crowd reaction says it all,” Vance said. “Look, when they say that inflation is down, they mean from a baseline where groceries are already 30% more expensive than they were when Donald Trump was president. And they’re not saying it’s coming down, they’re just saying it’s not going up as fast as it was three years ago. That is not a reputation or a record to brag on, that’s a record to be ashamed of.”

He blamed Vice President Kamala Harris for the prolonged affordability crisis, emphasizing that rising credit card debt and expensive necessities are causing financial hardships, particularly for young Americans.

“Why did it take them so long to get inflation to where it is, and why are prices so high? It’s because Kamala Harris failed to do her job,” Vance said. “So if they want to go around and this is, you know, it’s funny… Kamala Harris on the one hand will say on day one we’re going to tackle the affordability crisis and like I said earlier Kamala Harris has been the vice president for three and a half years, and I think, ladies and gentlemen, she’s in effect been the acting president because we all know Joe Biden isn’t home. So she’s been the one controlling government policy for three and a half years.”

“She says she wants to tackle the affordability crisis on day one and then on the other hand she’ll say well we’ve already got inflation under control. Well, which is it, Kamala? Which is it?” Vance asked.

“The simple truth is America’s credit card debt is getting higher. Americans are finding the basic necessities in middle class life less affordable. Americans are becoming, especially young people, are becoming paupers in their own country. If we don’t do better, our young generation, they’re not going to own anything, they’re not going to have anything, they’re going to be renters in the country that their parents and grandparents built. Inflation is a disaster.”

Vance’s fiery response resonated with the crowd, illustrating his strategy of addressing media questions as opportunities to rally support against his opponents.