Opinion: Vance and Walz had civil debate. Trump flung career-damning insults at soldiers.
The most important takeaway from the vice presidential debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz was this: Lunatic Donald Trump remains the GOP’s presidential nominee, and he spent time before and during the debate again showing Americans how wildly unqualified he is to lead the country.
While Vance and Walz engaged in a largely respectful(ish) back-and-forth that likely did nothing to move the needle for American voters, Trump was spouting like a madman on his Truth Social site, repeatedly and childishly referring to Walz as “Tampon Tim.”
Of the two CBS News moderators, Trump wrote: “Both young ladies have been extremely biased Anchors!”
At one point, he posted: “JD Vance just CRUSHED Tampon Tim with the FACTS. America was GREAT when I was President, and we will Make America Great Again after we win on November 5th!”
And then: “JD is doing GREAT ? A different level of Intelligence from Tampon Tim!”
Trump called Walz “insane” and a “TOTAL JOKE!” and “Low IQ!”
The VP debate was fine. But Trump's posts about it were unhinged.
Take a step back and think about what you just read. A 78-year-old man who wants to be president of the United States wrote those things and publicly shared them for all to see.
Hours before the vice presidential debate started, Trump was asked if he should have responded more strongly to a January 2020 attack by Iran on U.S. soldiers at a base in Iraq. More than 100 soldiers suffered brain injuries in the attack. Trump said: “What does injured mean? You mean because they had a headache?”
Opinion poll: Who won the vice president debate? We want to hear from you.
That’s reprehensible. For any normal candidate, it would border on career-ending. And, in the same answer, he said “there was nobody ever tougher on Iraq” when he clearly meant Iran.
Don't let anything distract you from Trump's crazy behavior
At the same Milwaukee event, Trump spoke about the president of Iran but referred to him as Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator.
So, in a matter of hours, Vance’s top-of-the-ticket running mate demeaned injuries suffered by U.S. troops, appeared incapable of remembering the names of foreign countries or leaders, and then sat around and posted insults like a snotty teenager on social media.
Vance played normal during the vice presidential debate, but Trump sure didn't
At the vice presidential debate, Vance gave an Oscar-worthy performance in his role as “guy trying to pretend his boss is normal.” But even that fell apart near the end when the subject of certification of the 2020 election came up and Vance was incapable of admitting Trump lost.
Walz asked Vance: “Did he lose the 2020 election?”
Opinion: Trump's GOP excuses racists, loons and criminals. There's no bottom anymore.
Vance non-responded: “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
To which Walz accurately said: “That is a damning non-answer.”
Yeah, it’s pretty damning. And the very fact that Vance couldn’t give a straight answer to the easiest question ever shows that his running mate – his boss – is a maniac.
Vance sold his soul to be Trump's running mate
Walz was clearly nervous in parts of the debate, and he is not the smooth talker Vance is, but none of what happened on that stage Tuesday night matters when compared with the madness of Trump.
It’s easy to grow numb to his babbling bombast. It’s easy for it to somehow seem normal, because it’s coming from Donald Trump.
But there is nothing normal about him, and there’s nothing normal about a guy like Vance who’s willing to sell his soul to stand next to Trump, carrying his fetid water.
Don't forget why Mike Pence wasn't on the debate stage
Perhaps the most powerful moment of the night for Walz was when he pointed out the elephant not in the room. Speaking of former Vice President Mike Pence, Walz said: “When Mike Pence made that decision to certify that election, that's why Mike Pence isn't on this stage.”
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Don’t forget that. Vance is standing there because Trump’s last vice president wants nothing to do with him, in part because Trump damn near got him hanged at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The vice presidential debate was whatever. But what matters is that before it and after, Trump was, as usual and as always, out of hand, insulting and insane.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Vance played normal in VP debate, but Trump acted like a loon