ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance used a round of Sunday news show appearances to disparage the and promote Donald Trump's record and second-term plans and defend himself from criticism over past remarks that have become a campaign issue.
The Ohio senator, in a series of taped interviews, said there was merit to Trump鈥檚 suggestion that presidents have more control of U.S. monetary policy and kept up the GOP line that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats' vice presidential candidate, had exaggerated his .
Vance, who shadowed Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz during their visits to several battleground states last week, was quizzed about abortion and his past comments about American family life, among other topics.
Some highlights from his appearances:
Trump is right on Fed independence, Vance says
Trump recently suggested that presidents 鈥渟hould have at least a say鈥� on monetary policy set by the Federal Reserve. He did not offer specific proposals.
Curtailing the Fed鈥檚 independence from political interference as it determines interest rates would be a fundamental change. Even as he tried to argue that Trump said nothing about taking 鈥渄irect鈥� control of rates, Vance endorsed Trump's general idea.
鈥淧resident Trump is saying I think something that鈥檚 really important and actually profound, which is that the political leadership of this country should have more say over the monetary policy of this country,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淚 agree with him. That should fundamentally be a political decision. Agree or disagree, we should have America鈥檚 elected leaders having input about the most important decisions confronting our country.鈥�
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan questioned the wisdom of such a major change. 鈥淚 think if you look around the world鈥檚 economies and you see where Fed central banks are independent and operate freely,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hey tend to fare better than the ones that don鈥檛.鈥�
Mining Walz鈥檚 military record
Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard and was once deployed to Europe, though never to an active war zone. In a video from 2018, he referred to carrying weapons 鈥渋n war.鈥� The Harris campaign said last week that Walz misspoke.
鈥淪candalous behavior,鈥� said Vance, a military veteran.
When it was noted that Trump avoided Vietnam with dubious claims of bone spurs, Vance said that "obviously a lot of people have reasons for not serving. I criticize somebody for embellishing their record, for lying, saying, 鈥業 went to war.鈥欌��
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a combat veteran and a top Harris ally, said Republicans are circulating 鈥渢he one time鈥� that a long-serving veteran 鈥渟lipped up鈥� talking about his military service.
Medical abortion and Florida's referendum
Vance dodged when asked about his position on an upcoming that would repeal Republican-passed abortion restrictions and ensure more access to abortion services.
Speaking broadly about states and reproductive rights, Vance said Trump "has said explicitly they鈥檙e going to make this decision on a state-by-state level.鈥�
Vance struggled to clarify Trump鈥檚 position on whether he would support federal limits on the medical abortion drug mifepristone.
Trump said in his with Biden that he would not block it. At his Florida news conference last week, he offered a disjointed answer and said, "You also have to give a vote鈥� on the matter. Vance suggested that 鈥渕aybe鈥� Trump had difficulty hearing and understanding a reporter鈥檚 question.
Walz responded in a statement through the Harris campaign that Trump and Vance "are going to ban medication abortion. ... Vice President Harris and I will make sure that you make your health care decisions because we have a rule, whether you鈥檇 make the same decision as someone else: Just mind your own damn business.鈥�
Vance and Buttigieg's back-and-forth on family
During Vance鈥檚 Senate campaign in 2021, he said in a Fox News interview that 鈥渨e are effectively run in this country via the Democrats,鈥� and referred to them as 鈥渁 bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they鈥檝e made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.鈥�
He said that included Harris, who has two adult children, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is gay and a married father of twins but had no children at the time of Vance's comment.
The senator said a 鈥渟arcastic remark I made three years ago鈥� has obscured a serious debate about 鈥減ro-family鈥� policies, explaining that 鈥淚 criticize people for being anti-child鈥� in their policy pursuits.
Vance also in the past has suggested giving extra votes for people with children.
鈥淚t's not a policy proposal. It's a thought experiment, right?鈥� he said in a Sunday interview, arguing he was reacting to others' ideas to lower the voting age.
鈥淎nybody who disagrees with him is anti-child?鈥� Buttigieg countered in a news show appearance. 鈥淗e seems incapable of talking about a vision for this country in terms of lifting people up. ... It鈥檚 always about disparagement.鈥�
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Vance appeared on CNN's 鈥淪tate of the Union,鈥� ABC's 鈥淭his Week鈥� and CBS' 鈥淔ace the Nation." Buttigieg was on CNN and Moynihan was on CBS.
By Bill Barrow, The Associated Press
