Republican vice presidential candidate J D Vance has refused to acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections, as he evaded a direct reply on whether the former president would seek to challenge this year’s election results even if these were certified in every state.
Senator Vance of Ohio came face to face with his Democratic rival Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday in the only vice presidential debate of this election cycle.
The debate comes just over a month before the crucial US presidential elections when the country will choose between Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Trump as the next leader.
In reference to the January 6, 2021 insurrection, Vance did not give a clear answer when asked if Trump would again challenge election results this year even if every governor certifies the results.
“Look, what President Trump has said is that there were problems in 2020, and my own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues peacefully in the public square. And that’s all I’ve said, and that’s all that Donald Trump has said,” Vance said.
He added that Trump asked the protesters on January 6 to “protest peacefully”, and the former president “left the White House” on January 20 when Joe Biden became president. “…now, of course, unfortunately, we have all of the negative policies that have come from the Harris-Biden administration,ā he said.
Trump has denied wrongdoing regarding the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021 in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election won by Biden, a Democrat. The Republican presidential candidate has repeatedly claimed that he won the 2020 elections.
During the debate, the Democratic vice presidential candidate Walz also questioned Vance about Trump losing the 2020 election.
āDid he (Trump) lose the 2020 election?ā Walz asked.
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance replied.
Calling it a “non-answer”, Walz said, “I’m pretty