“I think he was speaking for me, but I really didn’t [discuss a federal abortion ban with Vance].”
Normally, that quote — of Donald Trump disowning his running mate’s vow that Trump would veto any federal abortion ban — would be big debate news. But it was overshadowed by media coverage of the debate’s more sensational moments. Regardless, J. D. Vance will face a tricky task come October 1, when he’s scheduled to face off with his Democratic counterpart, Tim Walz. The running-mate debate could end up playing out like Family Feud’s “Fast Money” round, in which the second contestant is routinely forced to will his team to victory, overcoming his teammates’ unsatisfactory first set of answers.
But the exchange over an abortion ban presents important questions: If Vance is the political bulldog that carries the ideological load for the ticket, then how long is the leash? Is he the rhetorical filter, curating Trump’s messages for the media? Or did Trump make clear on Tuesday that his running mate most definitely does not speak for him?
Trump spoke of Vance almost as a buddy he occasionally chats politics with, not a political running mate with whom he’s in lockstep: “I don’t mind if he has a certain view,” he said, implying Vance’s stance does not mirror his own.
The ticket will want a clear victory over Walz in the next round in order to recover from this week. We can expect Vance to be more articulate in pinning down Harris-Walz on specific policy positions they’ve taken that remain widely unpopular with the American people. Vance will be tasked with sidestepping Trump’s more far-fetched debate claims while still highlighting the general spirit of his policies. Judging from Trump’s comments at Tuesday’s debate, he’ll have to be careful not to overreach.