Rep. Robert Garcia (left) and JD Vance
Rep. Robert Garcia (left) and JD Vance (Photo: US Gov/Shutterstock)

Gay, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia was among those to criticize Donald Trump’s choice for Vice Presidential running mate yesterday.

Trump, attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee two days after the assassination attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania, announced he’d chosen Ohio Senator JD Vance.

On X, Garcia (D-CA), said, “JD Vance is an extremist with views that are completely outside the mainstream. The fact that he immediately politicized the assassination attempt against former President Trump and blamed Democrats is shameful. There couldn’t be a more irresponsible pick.”

Vance’s changing stance on Trump

Vance’s selection to run with Trump comes eight years after Vance heaped scorn on Trump.

“I’m a ‘never Trump’ guy. I never liked him,” Vance tweeted in 2016

In the same year, he wrote privately to an associate on Facebook: “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole … or that he’s America’s Hitler”.

However, in his bid to become Senator of Ohio, Vance did an about-face, discovering a new-found admiration for Trump. He has since gone on to become one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders. He has claimed his 2016 postings were down to youthful ignorance.

Vance was criticized by many over the weekend for his reaction to the assassination attempt on Trump. Another man attending the rally was shot and killed during the incident. The shooter, later identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot and killed within moments of the attack.

Vance took to X within an hour of the shooting to point the blame at the Democrats.

“Today is not just some isolated incident,” he wrote, presumably without knowing anything about the shooter or their motives. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

That tweet has been slammed by many. David Axelrod, the former senior adviser to then-President Obama, reposted it on X, saying, “If @JDVance1 is on the short list for VP, this Tweet, sent an hour after the assassination attempt in PA, ought to disqualify him in the eyes of the Trump campaign.”

Axelrod’s words were echoed by former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). He also said Vance’s words should “disqualify” him from consideration for VP.

Ritchie Torres

Alongside Garcia, another gay Rep. to criticize Vance was Ritchie Torres (D-NY). He suggested that instead of blaming Democrats, Vance should reflect on his own past statements about Trump.

“Even though there is no evidence as to the motive of the shooter—who is a registered Republican—the absence of evidence has not kept Republicans, like JD Vance, from pointing fingers at Democrats.

“By his own logic, JD Vance, who once described Donald Trump as ‘America’s Hitler,’ should be pointing the finger at himself.”

Anti-LGBTQ+

Vance has aligned himself with the far-right of the Republican party since entering politics. He has taken steps to weaken LGBTQ+ protections. This includes previously introducing a so-called “Protect Children’s Innocence Act”. It proposes policies to make it harder for minors to source gender-affirming care.

In 2022, Vance said he would vote “No” on the Respect for Marriage Act to codify marriage equality.

He has opposed kids learning about sexuality in school and called those in favor of such education “groomers”.

Unsurprisingly, within the Republican party, many have rushed to praise Trump’s choice for Vice Presidential running mate.

This included Senator Marco Rubio, who was considered a front-runner for the position alongside Vance. Rubio took to X to call Vance a “fantastic choice”.

Rubio’s comment was mocked by many.

Others spared a thought for another potential VP pick: South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

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