CNN —
Asked Wednesday what message he was sending to independent voters, Vice Presidential candidate J.D. He did not answer “no,” saying that he did not lose the election, but he did not directly answer the question.
“When it comes to the 2020 election, I’ve answered this question directly a million times: No. I think we have serious problems in 2020,” Vance said at a rally in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. said. “So Donald Trump lost the election? Not by the words I use, right?”
“I don’t really care whether you agree or disagree with me on this issue,” the senator continued. “This is where I’m stuck, because what the media does is they focus on the trial or they focus on crazy conspiracy theories. What I know, what happened. What we do know is that in 2020, big tech companies censored Americans from talking about things like Hunter Biden’s laptop, and that had a huge, significant impact on the election. It affected me.”
The contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop were purchased by news organizations in the run-up to the 2020 election, but most outlets refused to publish the contents due to concerns about possible Russian disinformation operations. .
“Well, okay, you can say, well, your view is, it happened, and we still think Trump lost, or we — it happened, And let’s just say we think that means Trump won. Who cares? Censorship is bad and that’s what we focus on. That’s what we care about most,” Vance said.
Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, said in a statement that Vance has “finally acknowledged that he is denying the results of the 2020 election.”
“As Gov. (Tim) Walz said on the debate stage a few weeks ago, Donald Trump chose Vance for this very reason, as Trump pursues absolute, unrestricted power. He knows that Mr. Vance will be a loyal soldier,” Corridoni said.
Vance said at the rally that he is more focused on what has happened to President Joe Biden and Harris’ leadership over the past three and a half years, and returned to the issues facing Pennsylvania voters. .
“I’ve probably gotten eight or nine questions about 2020, and I’m answering honestly because I think it’s important to ask the question or answer the question that’s been asked. But Pennsylvania How many times have I been asked why people can’t buy gas?” Vance said.
He said Trump Vance’s message to independents, Democrats and Republicans is, “If you want a secure southern border and the ability to once again dream the American dream, Donald Trump and I have a mission for you. We have a plan, and we will fight for it.” you. ”
Asked late Wednesday why he ultimately answered “no” if he didn’t believe Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance gave a similar answer, saying he had been answering the question for years. He said American media should focus on the issues facing voters.
“I’m sure there are as many opinions about what happened four years ago as there are people in this audience,” Vance said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. “If you disagree with me on an issue, or if you disagree with me about something I just said, or if you disagree with certain policy positions of the Trump administration, that’s okay. I believe in the United States of America. That’s fine because I don’t agree with that. I think we’re all united in this: We need to get Kamala Harris out of the Oval Office so Americans can live prosperous lives again. ”
When asked several questions by The New York Times in an interview last weekend, Mr. Vance would not say “yes” or “no” about Mr. Trump losing the election.
“I think both Donald Trump and I have raised a lot of issues regarding the 2020 election, but we’re focused on the future,” Vance told the Times. “I think there’s an obsession here to focus on 2020. I’m far more worried about what’s going to happen after 2020. Borders are wide open and groceries are out of reach. It becomes something.”
CNN’s K-Files reported last week that in the weeks after the 2020 election, Vance indicated he believed Trump lost the election and accepted that Joe Biden would take office.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
