Oakland University student's critique of vice presidential debate lands him on MSNBC spot

A student at Oakland University got some shine from the national media spotlight this week for his reaction to the vice presidential debate between U.S. Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

After the debate on Tuesday, an NBC reporter asked a panel at Oakland University's campus in Auburn Hills their thoughts on the debate. And for Oakland University student Marcus Johnson, Vance's criticism of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for not accomplishing more of her policy goals during her time as vice president didn't quite add up.

" Cause if anybody took high school civics class, they'd know what the vice president can do and what the vice president can't do," Johnson told NBC's Jacob Soboroff after the debate.

"Neither candidate on that stage talked about what executive action they're going to take on day one ... because they know that they can't. That's not how the vice presidency works."

Johnson's quip landed him more TV time — on Wednesday, he joined MSNBC's Joy Reid to discuss the viral interview .

"You got more attention, and I have more texts about you, than I think anything else last night," Reid told Johnson.

Johnson said he didn't know about the clip spreading around until friends told him later.

"I went to my dorm room, and I went to sleep," he told Reid. "I woke up this morning and I got a bazillion notifications on X. My best friend's texting me up the wazoo. All I did was go to class. I got stuff to do, I don't got time to worry about anybody else."

Johnson told Reid he's studying political science at Oakland.

Since Michigan is considered one of a handful of states key to deciding the outcome of the presidential election between Harris and former President Donald Trump, it's no surprise national networks set up camp in the state to speak with voters on their thoughts about the debate.

NBC's panel at Oakland University was one such example. CNN also spoke to voters in Michigan after the debate, holding a panel at Grand Valley State University's Grand Rapids campus.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oakland University student's critique of vice presidential debate lands him on MSNBC spot