Republican Ohio senatorial candidate J.D. Vance apologized for his criticism of former President Donald Trump, saying he was “wrong.”
Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, asked not to be judged based on years-old comments. Vance described himself as “never Trump,” called Trump “an idiot,” said he “didn’t support” Trump, described himself as “not a Trump guy,” and said, “I loved @MittRomney’s anti-Trump screed,” in since-deleted tweets from 2016 and 2017.
IN OHIO GOP SENATE PRIMARY, TRUMP IS KINGMAKER
“I think he was a good president. I think he made a lot of good decisions for people, and I think he took a lot of flak,” he said Monday. “I think that’s the most important thing, is not what you said five years ago, but whether you’re willing to stand up and take the heat and take the hits for actually defending the interests of the American people.”
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Vance entered a pro-Trump field in the Republican primary, with all contenders hoping to take over for retiring Sen. Rob Portman. He’s fighting Josh Mandel, a Marine Corps veteran and two-time treasurer of Ohio; Jane Timken, the former Ohio GOP chairwoman; and businessmen Bernie Moreno and Mike Gibbons.
Trump has not endorsed any of the Senate GOP candidates, and he might not before voters go to the polls for the primary. He mentioned some by name during his first post-presidency rally in Ohio on June 26.
