J.D. Vance Fumbles When Asked About Trump Calling Him ‘J.D. Mandel’: ‘Sometime’s He’s Going to Misspoke — Misspeak’
Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance fumbled Monday after he was asked about former President Donald Trump forgetting his name at a rally in Nebraska a day earlier.
Trump endorsed the former “Never Trump” Republican last month in a decision that divided Ohio conservatives.
Vance had previously accused Trump of racism and claimed he was leading the GOP in a dark direction. He has since walked back the comments.
Despite earning Trump’s endorsement, the former president misremembered his name Sunday while addressing Nebraskans.
“You know we’ve endorsed Dr. [Mehmet] Oz, we’ve endorsed J.P., right? J.D. Mandel,” Trump said.
He endorsed JD Mandel? Who is that? pic.twitter.com/SzunDPkd1p
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) May 1, 2022
It appeared as though Trump had mixed up Vance with Ohio Senate candidate John Mandel, who Donald Trump Jr. smeared immediately after his father endorsed the Hillbilly Elegy author. Both had sought Trump’s endorsement.
Vance was asked about Trump’s flubbing of his name by CBS News on Monday afternoon. He momentarily tripped over himself as he wrote off the gaffe.
“Last night in Nebraska, any comment or reaction to the president’s J.D. Mandel remark?” Vance was asked.
.@costareports asks Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance his reaction to Pres. Trump referring to him as “J.D. Mandel” at a rally Sunday:
“Sometime’s he’s going to misspeak…I’m not worried about it at all,” Vance says ahead of tomorrow’s primary race. pic.twitter.com/SDxJgqx4MJ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 2, 2022
“No, I mean look, he gives what, thousands of words of speeches every single week,” Vance said. “Sometimes he’s going to misspoke — misspeak.”
“Everybody’s going to do that. But he’s doing a tele-town hall with us tonight here in the state of Ohio, so I’m not worried about it at all,” he continued.
Trump surrendered Vance had said some “some not so great things about me in the past,” during his endorsement. He added, “[Vance] is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race.”
