Transcript: Sen. JD Vance on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 27, 2024

The pursuing is simply a transcript of an question and reply pinch GOP vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, Republican of Ohio, connected "Face nan Nation pinch Margaret Brennan" that aired connected Oct. 27, 2024.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, convey you for making clip for us. The past clip we spoke, Iran had conscionable launched a ballistic rocket onslaught connected Israel, and this Friday, Israel did retaliate against Iran. At nan debate, I asked you astir your position, and you said it's up to Israel to do immoderate it is they deliberation they request to do. The point is is that doesn't reside nan mobility of nan information of U.S. subject unit successful nan region, correct now astir 43,000 of them. It doesn't reside nan mobility of whether nan United States, arsenic nan largest weapons supplier, should person a say, arsenic they do nether U.S. law, arsenic to really those weapons are used. In a Trump-Vance administration, would you support nan troops we person successful nan Middle East, aliases would you propulsion them out, arsenic President Trump tried to do successful his first administration? 

SEN. JD VANCE: Well, evidently we person a batch of troops successful a batch of different parts of nan Middle East. I deliberation it's reasonable to support Israel arsenic it deals pinch this highly unprovoked onslaught from Iran. And let's measurement backmost a small spot here, because nan logic that Iran has each of these weapons to occurrence astatine Israel is because they person a batch of money. And wherever do they get that money from? From nan easing of lipid sanctions and from the- nan merchandise of a batch of money that nan Biden-Harris management had efficaciously locked up. They released it, and nan committedness of releasing it is that someway it would make nan Iranians a amended partner, would possibly get them a small spot much connected nan trajectory to being a reasonable country. That's not happening. They're conscionable utilizing that money to bargain weapons that they motorboat against American–

MARGARET BRENNAN: They're tightening up immoderate of nan sanctions. 

SEN. VANCE: They're- they're- they're tightening them up. They're going successful nan different guidance aft making a large mistake, and that large correction was to empower Iran financially to spend a batch of weapons that they're now firing, not conscionable astatine nan Israelis, but besides astatine us. And they're besides arming nan Houthis, and that's evidently affecting world trade. So I deliberation nan first and biggest mistake, nan point that we request to change, is we request to extremity giving nan Iranians money that they usage to make ourselves and our friends weaker successful nan region. When we talk- erstwhile it comes to Israel specifically, look I don't deliberation that we should beryllium taking assets retired of nan Middle East astatine a clip erstwhile our astir important state successful nan region is coming nether important attack, I don't deliberation that would nonstop nan correct connection and astir importantly, it's not conscionable Israel, it's us. We person interests that are important successful nan Middle East. We evidently person to woody with- woody pinch nan Houthis somehow, because we want to reopen nan lines of world trade. Very difficult to do that if we do a afloat standard withdrawal, but if there's definite countries wherever possibly we shouldn't person troops, I'm consenting to person that conversation, but you know, you're talking astir 14 different theaters, 14 different unit deployments, it's difficult to make a wide stroke- wide changeable conclusion astir nan full thing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well it would beryllium a circumstantial mobility connected Iraq, since nan Biden management said 2026, nan twelvemonth you person to make a determination connected troops, do you person a position connected that astatine this point?

SEN. VANCE: On Iraq specifically? 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. 

SEN. VANCE: No, I mean, look, I deliberation we request to look astatine nan situation. We evidently request to person a speech pinch our- our friends successful Iraq, and evidently admit where- what is nan guidance of Iraq? Are they becoming much and much friends of Iran? Are they becoming a small spot much of a bully partner successful nan Middle East? So it's- it's difficult to opportunity what we're going to do 2 years down nan road, because we're not- we don't cognize what nan world is going to look for illustration 2 years down nan road.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Staying connected nationalist security, arsenic you know, nan FBI and nan head of nationalist intelligence connected Friday said Russia is down a clone video that is circulating of personification tearing up ballots successful Pennsylvania, nan authorities we're sitting successful correct now. They measure Russia will merchandise much media for illustration this successful nan coming weeks. What value should Moscow salary for trying to manipulate American voters? 

SEN. VANCE: Well, look, I deliberation a batch of countries are going to effort to manipulate our voters. They're going to effort to manipulate our elections. That'st what they do. I deliberation nan bigger mobility is, what is successful our champion liking vis-à-vis Russia, not what value Russia should salary for putting retired societal media videos. And I deliberation what's successful our champion liking vis-à-vis Russia is successful peculiar for them to extremity supporting nan Iranians arsenic nan Iranians prosecute successful acts of aggression. And I deliberation erstwhile it comes to Europe, it's important for nan sidesplitting to extremity successful Russia and Ukraine. I don't deliberation that we should group American overseas argumentation based connected a overseas state spreading videos connected societal media. I deliberation we should group American overseas argumentation based connected what's successful our champion liking arsenic a United States.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You don't see that predetermination interference and crossing a reddish line?

SEN. VANCE: I deliberation it's bad. I deliberation it's bad. But societal media posts and societal media videos, Margaret, you want america to spell to warfare because nan Russians made a ridiculous video aliases paid for it? 

[CROSSTALK STARTS]

MARGARET BRENNAN: There are options different than war, arsenic you know, sanctions, different measures I mean, that doesn't– 

SEN. VANCE: Well, but- but this- this raises a difficult question, Margaret, because every- everything-

MARGARET BREANNAN: Manipulating voters arsenic portion of our democracy–

[CROSSTALK ENDS]

SEN. VANCE: Everything that we've tried, a batch of nan sanctions that we've tried, they've gone disconnected for illustration a bedewed firecracker. We promised astatine nan opening of nan Russia-Ukraine warfare that we would prosecute successful financial atomic warfare against nan Russians. Biden administration, Harris management officials talked astir really our sanctions would cripple their economy. They didn't. And truthful we person to beryllium realistic astir what America tin accomplish, comparison it against our nationalist interests and conscionable beryllium smart astir this. I don't deliberation that we should overreact to anything. What we should do is promote our chap Americans to beryllium careful. Don't spot everything that you spot connected societal media. And of course, we should push backmost wherever appropriate. But that's nan large mobility is, what is an due consequence to a state making societal media videos? I'm not going to make a committedness to that sitting correct here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you person afloat assurance that nan authorities of Pennsylvania and nan predetermination officials present are administering this predetermination fairly? Do you foresee litigation successful this state?

SEN. VANCE: Look, I deliberation that they're doing a bully job. I deliberation they're doing a amended occupation than they were successful 2020 and astir importantly, I deliberation astir Americans are seeing whether it's elector ID successful places for illustration Wisconsin aliases Georgia, aliases a small spot of tightening of nan regulations astir signature verification successful places for illustration Pennsylvania, that I deliberation our elections are successful a beautiful bully spot successful 2024. Obviously, if thing comes up, we don't cognize what nan early is going to hold. If we spot evidence, for example, of an forbidden alien casting a ballot. Yeah, we're going to situation that successful court. But seeing what I- what I spot correct now, 10 days retired from nan election, Margaret, I deliberation Pennsylvania is successful a really bully spot. I deliberation we're going to triumph nan state, and I deliberation Pennsylvanians, Republicans, Democrats, independents, should person assurance successful nan elections here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: At a minimum, would you telephone connected Moscow to sound it off, to not station videos for illustration this successful nan coming weeks?

[CROSSTALK]

SEN. VANCE: Well of course. I'd telephone them to sound it off, but this is not a schoolhouse yard. I telephone connected Moscow to sound it off, are they really going to do it? We request to person a existent superior speech pinch nan Russians, but besides pinch ourselves, astir what devices of diplomacy and statecraft we person to dissuade nan Russians. So yeah, I condemn nan Russians for backing clone societal media views, but I don't deliberation that my occupation arsenic a statesman, arsenic a personification who wants to beryllium nan adjacent vice president of nan United States, is to spell prosecute successful saber-rattling. My occupation is to fig retired really we tin champion respond to these threats, and unfortunately, acknowledgment to Kamala Harris's leadership, we're successful a overmuch weaker space, vis-à-vis Russia than we were 3 and a half years ago.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to inquire you astir polling and wherever we are successful this campaign. 

JD VANCE: Sure.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney called you and Donald Trump "misogynistic pigs." She urged voters to look astatine what you person said successful nan past. And she said of you personally, quote, you've sewage a existent women problem. Do you deliberation your summons has "a women problem?"

JD VANCE: No, I don't deliberation that we do, but we person to make our champion lawsuit to women and to men arsenic good arsenic we can. And of course, women and men are going to determine wherever nan chips yet fall. I deliberation it's a much absorbing reflection of Kamala Harris's campaign, that astatine this precocious stage, she's not talking astir really she tin little nan value of groceries because she raised nan value of groceries. She's not talking astir really she tin little nan value of lodging because her argumentation saw a 40% summation successful nan costs of housing. She's going to Michigan pinch Liz Cheney, nan personification whose begetter is responsible for nan deaths of millions of guiltless Arabs and tens of thousands of guiltless American troops, and saying, effectively, that if you elite me, I'm going to person nan overseas argumentation of Dick and Liz Cheney. I don't deliberation that connection is going to alert successful Michigan. I don't deliberation it flies successful Pennsylvania either.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They've really not been talking astir overseas policy. They've been talking astir things you've been saying. They've been talking astir nan threats to our democracy, but connected the– 

[CROSSTALK]

JD VANCE: Oh, Liz Cheney has decidedly been talking astir overseas policy, Margaret. She loves to talk astir really she would for illustration to commencement wars pinch efficaciously each state each complete nan world. Donald Trump is nan campaigner of peace, but I deliberation they are talking a batch astir overseas policy. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: On the- connected nan topic, though, of- of really nan run is doing. Our CBS polling shows a important gender spread here. 40% of women opportunity nan Trump run is paying excessively overmuch attraction to men's concerns. 56% of women opportunity nan Trump run is paying excessively small attraction to women's concerns. You opportunity 1 of your apical advisers is your wife, Usha. 

JD VANCE: Yeah. The apical adviser. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: What is she- So what is she telling you? Because nan information says you do person a women problem. 

JD VANCE: Well, what she's telling maine is we gotta make nan lawsuit to women arsenic good arsenic we can, and ultimately, spot successful nan contented of those women to make a determination astir what's successful nan champion liking of their family. All I tin opportunity to women voters, and frankly, to men voters too, but to each Americans, is I deliberation that Donald Trump is nan personification who's going to little nan costs of groceries. I cognize that Donald Trump is nan personification who is going to unafraid nan confederate border. Donald Trump has a scheme to unfastened up American energy, to little nan costs of equipment and to make our neighborhoods and communities safer. I cognize a batch of women attraction a batch astir nan information of their communities. What does it opportunity astir Kamala Harris's activity that convulsive crime has gone up? What does it opportunity astir nan truth that fentanyl overdose deaths person accrued nether her leadership? I deliberation that we tin make a bully lawsuit to women, but I'm not going to show them who they person to ballot for. I'm going to effort to seduce them. The voters are yet going to decide.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You took a vow, first arsenic a Marine and past arsenic a United States Senator, to protect and take sides nan Constitution of nan United States of America. Can you guarantee nan American group that you will do everything you tin to guidelines by that, and to make judge that President Trump abides by nan Constitution? 

JD VANCE: Of course, but I don't interest astir Donald Trump. I deliberation that Donald Trump believes successful nan Constitution. It's why he's moving for president a 3rd clip is because he's worried that Kamala Harris has surgery nan top system successful nan world, and Donald Trump-- 

MARGARET BRENNAN: He's talked astir suspending it- nan January 6 events. I don't person to retread nan territory you good cognize astir challenging nan certification of nan election.

JD VANCE  I deliberation that Donald Trump believes successful nan American Constitution. I cognize he does. I've seen it successful his actions. I've talked to him astir it. But you asked astir me, and personally, yes, my first loyalty is to nan American group and to nan United States Constitution. I deliberation nan champion measurement to serve, loyally, to those group and to that Constitution is to get america backmost successful a spot wherever Americans tin spend to unrecorded a decent life again. That's why we're moving nan run focused connected nan affordability of goods, American manufacturing- it's a large woody present successful Erie, Pennsylvania, and surely connected securing that confederate border. I deliberation nan threats to our Constitution, Margaret- and I do deliberation they're real. The threats to our Constitution travel from Kamala Harris, who's saying that she wants to censor Americans alternatively of seduce them. Whether you work together pinch maine aliases Donald Trump aliases disagree pinch us, we judge successful nan First Amendment, we're going to conflict for your correct to speak your mind and deliberation immoderate you want successful nan United States of America.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We are retired of time, but conscionable to put a good constituent connected it, do you judge Vice President Harris, who will preside complete nan predetermination certification successful January, that she has nan powerfulness to inquire for alternate electors? Because you claimed Mike Pence did.

JD VANCE: What I deliberation Vice President Harris has nan powerfulness to do is to enforce nan Constitution. I'll time off it to her what she thinks that she has to do. But Donald Trump and I are going to triumph this election. He's going to beryllium nan president again, and he's going to hole what Kamala Harris has broken. And convey God for that, because I conscionable want Americans to unrecorded a amended life.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Vance, you person a engaged schedule. Thank you. 

JD VANCE: Thank you. Appreciate it. 

In:
• JD Vance