Sen. JD Vance of Ohio on Saturday declined to characterize Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “enemy,” saying instead that “I think that he’s clearly an adversary. He is a competitor.”
“But I think that we also have to be smart about diplomacy, too,” Vance, who is former President Donald Trump’s running mate, added in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. “Just because we don’t like somebody, doesn’t mean that we can’t occasionally engage in conversations with them.”
His remarks came in response to a question from moderator Kristen Welker about whether Vance sees Putin as an ally or an enemy.
“I think it’s important if we’re ever going to end the war in Ukraine, fundamentally, at some level, we’re going to have to engage in some sort of negotiation between Ukraine, between Russia, between our NATO allies in Europe,” the senator added. “And that’s just a necessary part.”
Vance also responded to comments from former Vice President Mike Pence last year saying Trump had asked him to “put him over my oath to the Constitution.”
“Of course my loyalty is to the American people and to the United States Constitution,” Vance responded when asked whether his loyalties as vice president would lie with Trump or the Constitution.
“I don’t think there’s inconsistency between loyalty to the Constitution and support for Donald Trump,” Vance added. “That’s why I’m out there trying to persuade my fellow Americans that Donald Trump’s presidency worked for them, and I’d like us to get back to those smart policies.”
In a separate interview Saturday on CBS' "Face the Nation," Vance assured viewers that Trump would abide by the Constitution if elected again.
"I don’t worry about Donald Trump. I think that Donald Trump believes in the Constitution. It’s why he’s running for president for a third time. It's because he’s worried that Kamala Harris has broken the greatest economy in the world," Vance told moderator Margaret Brennan.
"I think that Donald Trump believes in the American Constitution. I know he does. I’ve seen it in his actions. I’ve talked to him about it," Vance added. "And personally, yes, my first loyalty is to the American people and to the United States Constitution. I think the best way to serve loyally to those people and to that Constitution is to get us back in a place where Americans can afford to live a decent life again."
In the NBC News interview, Vance also addressed criticism that has emerged in recent weeks from several members of Trump’s first administration, including former chief of staff John Kelly and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
“Donald Trump was already president for four years. If he was what John Kelly said he was, then why did Donald Trump deliver peace and prosperity?” Vance asked.
He then accused Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, of using the Justice Department to target political foes. There is no evidence that the Justice Department targets the political opponents of Harris or President Joe Biden.
“The current Department of Justice, under the leadership of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, has absolutely been going after the political opponents of the current Democratic Party. I think that’s a disgrace, but it’s happening,” Vance said, doubling down after Welker pushed back on the assertion.
The Harris campaign, the White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The senator went on to call Kelly a “disgruntled ex-employee,” telling Welker, “The people who worked most closely with him, most of them are supporting this ticket. You mentioned one person, two people, a disgruntled ex-employee, Kristen, who Donald Trump fired.”
In a separate interview Sunday with CNN, Vance blasted Kelly and other former military leaders as "old neo-conservatives" who disagree with Trump on foreign policy.
"It’s a very interesting theme in American foreign policy, where a lot of former members of the Pentagon bureaucracy, a lot of old neoconservatives, they have a fundamental difference with Donald Trump on the question of peace and war," Vance told anchor Jake Tapper.
"I believe Donald Trump is the candidate for peace. I think the record supports that. But the reason these guys go after him so vociferously, I don’t think that it’s about his personality, Jake, I think that it’s about they don’t like that Donald Trump said 'No,' when a lot of them wanted to start a ridiculous war," the senator added.
