Vance ignores polling problems and embraces hostile interviews in Harris-Walz attack

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been unafraid to do interviews since being chosen as former President Donald Trump's running mate.

That's despite a media firestorm over his past comments, in particular comments he made in a 2021 Fox News interview in which he lamented that the country was run by "childless cat ladies."

He's also not being received particularly well, according to surveys since his ascension. He is polling at 32% favorable to 44% unfavorable in a new ABC News-Ipsos poll, much worse than Gov. Tim Walz's (D-MN) 42% favorable to 31% unfavorable. There are positives for Vance, though.

“J.D. never had a honeymoon — he had a hurricane, but I think a lot of that is in the rearview mirror now,” Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder, told the New York Times. “He’s further animated the conservative base and also voters we are looking to run up the score with, which are white working-class voters and young male voters.”

Several interviews the Ohio senator has done came after Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz spoke to CNN reporter Dana Bash in a joint televised talk last week. Not long after their interview , Vance jumped on Fox News's Fox and Friends to blast Harris for flipping on issues, saying she "governed as a far-left person" regardless of the stances she took when speaking with CNN.

Vance's strategy is that he wants there to be a press conference or media Q&A at most events he attends, a top adviser of his told Axios. He wants to engage the media outside the "MAGA base."

"He can often be combative, but he's not trying to own the libs when he engages with the MSM — he's trying to persuade the middle," the adviser said .

While these events may or may not persuade voters, they have reportedly pleased Trump. The New York Times reported that Trump told Vance to fight through attacks on himself forcefully, and Vance's execution exceeded Trump's expectations.

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Many criticized Trump for selecting Vance as his running mate, with some saying it hardly "expanded the tent" of Trump voters and instead doubled down on a populist message.

Vance hasn't shied away from the criticism, instead embracing it and letting his thoughts be known to the media.