JD Vance in Eau Claire: Why he walked to VP's plane, why he says Walz is 'weird'
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (FOX 9) - Former President Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance held a campaign rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Wednesday.
Republican vice presidential nominee Vance announced his rally in Eau Claire after Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign announced she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, would be holding a rally in Eau Claire the same day.
What he said
JD Vance calls Tim Walz 'weird' during Wisconsin event
Former President Donald Trump's vice president pick JD Vance held a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, during which he called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz "weird" for shaking his wife's hand after finishing his speech on Tuesday instead of giving her a hug and a kiss. Walz coined the term "weird" to criticize the Trump-Vance ticket.
Vance said he had a bit of fun Wednesday trying to catch up with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as the pair used the same Wisconsin airport as part of competing campaign travel. When they arrived in Eau Claire, Harris and Vance both landed and were on the tarmac at the same time. After Vance landed, he walked over to get a closer look at Air Force Two.
In a post on X, he said, "I thought the reporters traveling with Kamala might be a little lonely given that she never answers questions from them, so I figured I’d come say hello and check out my new plane while I was at it."
"I just wanted to check out my future plane," he joked with reporters. He said he hopes it'll be his plane in a few months.
"I also wanted to go say hello to the vice president and ask her why Kamala Harris refuses, why does she refuse to answer questions from the media," Vance said. "I don’t think the vice president waved at me as she drove away."
Vance took a jab at Harris on the tarmac and again during his speech, criticizing Harris for not having a full press conference since she began her campaign for president on July 21, after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid.
At the end of the press conference, Vance took questions from reporters, with a focus on local reporters who were in attendance. During the Q&A, he criticized Walz, saying the Minnesota governor "encouraged" people to burn Minneapolis to the ground after George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police. Walz held numerous press conferences to urge calm and called in the National Guard to assist, but never encouraged people to burn Minneapolis to the ground.
He said Walz has a lot of "skeletons coming out of his closet," and also addressed the "weird" comment Walz coined to criticize the Trump-Vance ticket. Vance said being called "weird" is a "badge of honor" and later called Walz "weird" for shaking his wife's hand after finishing his speech on Tuesday in Philadelphia instead of giving her a hug and a kiss.
When asked about a debate, Vance said he would participate.
Watch Vance's full speech in the player at the top of the page.
What's next
Vance held a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday and is expected to speak in Shelby Township, Michigan, on Wednesday morning. Afterward, he'll head to Raleigh and Oakboro, North Carolina on Thursday.
His campaign stops mirror Harris' and Walz's battleground state tour as Republicans and Democrats hope to win the White House this November.
Wisconsin is one of the battleground states and is considered competitive in November. In 2020, President Joe Biden won by fewer than 21,000 votes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.