J.D. Vance Just Sold Out His Family to Defend Trump and Laura Loomer

J.D. Vance would apparently rather protect Donald Trump’s decision to pal around with self-described “proud Islamophobe” and 9/11 conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer than stand up for his own wife.

Trump has been seen with Loomer several times over the last couple of weeks, with the pair getting eyebrow-raisingly close (Trump’s hand has been spotted in the small of Loomer’s back) while Melania Trump has largely remained out of the limelight. Loomer attended a 9/11 memorial service with Trump and also accompanied him to the presidential debate.

In an interview Sunday with NBC News, Vance was asked directly about his and his wife Usha Vance’s opinions on some of Loomer’s overt racism, including her claim that Vice President Kamala Harris’s ascendency to the Oval Office would make the White House “smell like curry.” But Vance wouldn’t take a stand against the alt-right ally.

“Senator, you are married to an Indian American woman. What was your reaction to hearing those comments specifically?” asked Meet the Press ’s Kristen Welker.

Vance refused to immediately speak on the topic, sidestepping instead to briefly elaborate on his conspiracy that Haitian migrants are eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio.

“You asked about Laura Loomer. Look, Laura Loomer is not affiliated with the Trump campaign. She said something about curry in the White House that I first read about this morning because I knew you would ask me about it,” Vance said. “Look, Kristen, I make a mean chicken curry. I don’t think it’s insulting for anyone to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House.

“Do I agree with what Laura Loomer said about Kamala Harris? No, I don’t,” Vance continued. “I also don’t think that this is actually an issue of national import. Is Laura Loomer running for president? No. Kamala Harris is running for president, and whether you’re eating curry at your dinner table or fried chicken, things have gotten more expensive thanks to her policies.”

It’s worth noting that not only is Vance’s response pathetic, but he also manages to incorporate racist stereotypes about the food eaten by both of Harris’s cultures: Indian people and Black people.

But even when given a second chance to disavow Loomer’s comments, Vance couldn’t give it up. Instead, the vice presidential pick blamed the drama on chronically online behavior before continuing to attack Harris’s economic policies and jabbing fingers at the media for covering the far-right conspiracy theorist’s influence on the Republican presidential nominee.