During a quick stop at a Minnesota restaurant Sunday morning, Sen. J.D. Vance spoke about his past criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Asked by ABC News whether he and Trump had spoken about his past criticism of the former president, Vance said yes, adding that Trump “doesn’t care what I said eight years ago.”
“I mean, look, President Trump and I have talked about this a lot,” Vance said. “I actually joke sometimes that I wish he had Joe Biden’s memory, because he has a memory like a steel trap, and he certainly remembers the criticisms that people have made.”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance and his family greet supporters at the Park Diner in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 28, 2024.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
“But that’s where the media, I think, misses the point about Trump. Donald Trump accepts that people can change their minds, and you wonder, ‘Why did I change my mind about Donald Trump?’ Because his agenda has improved people’s lives,” Vance said.
“This is not about red team versus blue team or winning an election for its own sake. This is about having a chance to govern so we can lower food prices, close that border and stop fentanyl from coming through our country for four years,” Vance continued, saying he was “wrong” about Trump.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance and his family greet supporters at the Park Diner in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 28, 2024.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
“He did a better job than anybody I’ve ever seen as president in my entire life. So I changed my mind, because he did a good job. And that’s what you do when people do a good job and you mess up. I’ve talked to President Trump about this a lot, but listen, he, I mean, he doesn’t care… He doesn’t care about what I said eight years ago. He cares about whether we’re together [and] can govern the country successfully.
Asked again if the two men had spoken about the topic, particularly in the past week since his comments resurfaced, Vance admitted they had not and that their conversations had focused on the upcoming race.
-Kelsey Walsh, Soorin Kim and Hannah Demissie of ABC News
