JD Vance's Sunday media blitz

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     August 12, 2024 Did you catch Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on TV yesterday? It was hard to miss him: Trump's running mate delivered a Sunday morning media blitz, sitting for interviews that aired on [ABC](, [CBS](, and [CNN](. The goal, it seemed, was to clean up the mess he had made with his past comments on “[childless cat ladies](” and [abortion](, among other topics, that seem to be part of [why the Democrats' branding of him as "weird" works](. Unfortunately for Trump and Vance, it's questionable whether the aspiring VP's Sunday screen time actually helped the Republicans' cause. That's because his comments were a combination of false, chilling, and—you guessed it—weird. Some of the highlights: —Perhaps the weirdest exchange was when Vance agreed with Trump's claim that the VP pick "does not have any impact" on the election. “I think President Trump’s right about that, actually,” Vance told Margaret Brennan of CBS. “I think most people are voting for Donald Trump or for Kamala Harris.” —He described, in clinical terms, how the Trump administration would enact the ["mass deportation" plan]( it has promised. “I think it’s interesting that people focus on, well, how do you deport 18 million people?" Vance told Jonathan Karl of ABC. "Let’s start with 1 million.” —Not only did Vance falsely imply that abortion pills are unsafe—[more than 100 scientific studies]( have confirmed they are safe and effective, including when they are [prescribed virtually and mailed to patients](—but he also lied about [his record of trying to criminalize them]( when Brennan, of CBS, asked him about it. [Read my full piece]( to get the rundown on Vance's wildest statements on his TV tour yesterday—and expect more to come between now and November. —Julianne McShane P.S. This week's episode of Reveal is [the second in a three-part series]( about failures in federal data collection of Covid-19 and the volunteer-led effort to fill the data gap. Make sure to give it a listen [wherever you get your podcasts](. Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Wildest Things JD Vance Said in His Sunday Morning Media Blitz]( Perhaps the wildest: He agreed with Trump's claim that the VP does not matter all that much. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY You’re a Mother Jones Daily reader, so you know the stakes and you know reporting like ours matters so freaking much in these next few months (and beyond). About that: We need [the support of our newsletter readers like never before]( to vigorously fight back against the existential threats American democracy and journalism face. We’re running behind our targets and urgently need all hands on deck. We can’t afford to come up short—we have no cushion; we leave it all on the field. Please help with a donation if you can—even just a few bucks helps. A [monthly gift]( would be incredible. [Donate]( [Trending] [How Trump's campaign of hatred against migrant "invaders" is fueling potential violence]( BY MARK FOLLMAN   [22 questions reporters should have asked at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago press conference]( BY MICHAEL MECHANIC   [Harris' polls climb with good vibes, as Trump keeps pitching doom]( BY ABBY VESOULIS   [Why Project 2025 caught on]( BY PEMA LEVY Advertisement [House Bookshop Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Right-wing broadcasters sold media hits to supporters of a Chinese fraudster]( How backers of MAGA mogul Guo Wengui purchased television and radio appearances. BY WALKER BRAGMAN AND DAN FRIEDMAN Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755