Vice President JD Vance defended his friendship with Tucker Carlson on Thursday, saying he has no intention of abandoning the conservative commentator simply because the two disagree over President Donald Trump, the war with Iran and Michigan’s closely watched Senate race.
Speaking during a White House press briefing, Vance acknowledged that Carlson has recently made statements he strongly opposes, but argued that political differences should not determine whether people remain friends.
Carlson has drawn attention in recent days for saying Trump should be removed from office for “actively considering” a preemptive nuclear strike. He has also declared that he would not vote “at gunpoint” for former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan.
“Everybody knows that Tucker Carlson and I are friends, and I think it’s very obvious that Tucker has said some things that I disagree with,” Vance said when asked Thursday about concerns surrounding his relationship with Carlson.
“He said some things about the president of the United States that I think are just wrong,” he added.
Vance also made clear that he rejects Carlson’s apparent preference for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate running against Rogers for the Michigan Senate seat.
“I’d like to have a non-crazy person like Mike Rogers representing Michigan in the United States Senate, rather than a crazy person like El-Sayed,” Vance said during the White House press briefing.
Despite those significant disagreements, Vance said he does not believe political disputes should dictate whom he considers a friend.
“Tucker is a friend of mine,” the vice president continued. “Tucker is a friend, despite the fact that we disagree on a number of things. And I’m not going to play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them.”
“I think that is a terrible place for the United States to go,” he added.
Carlson characterized El-Sayed’s campaign as “Trumpian” during an episode of his podcast released Wednesday.
Although Carlson has long been one of Trump’s most prominent supporters in conservative media, his criticism of the president has intensified since the war with Iran began earlier this year. Carlson and Vance have both previously championed a more isolationist and anti-war approach to foreign policy that differs from the traditionally hawkish positions held by many Republicans.
Vance has refrained from publicly criticizing the Iran war. Behind the scenes, however, he has reportedly emerged as the member of Trump’s Cabinet most skeptical of the conflict.
Carlson cited Trump’s warning of the “total destruction” of Iran while arguing that the president’s consideration of nuclear weapons should result in his removal from office.
“The second any president actively considers first-use of nuclear weapons, that person should be removed from office immediately. Immediately, because that’s gotta be the red line, destroying all of humanity with a nuclear strike,” Carlson said.
“Why isn’t there an attempt to remove him from office, like, immediately?” he added.
{Matzav.com}
