Vice President JD Vance answered questions from Michigan voters during a town hall in Flat Rock, as the state emerges as a key battleground in the fight for control of the Senate in November’s midterms.
The town hall hosted by CBS News took place just weeks before the midterm elections, as Republicans fight to maintain their majorities in the House and Senate. Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a former member of the House of Representatives, are vying for the open Michigan Senate seat.
Here are the best moments from the town hall:
Vance blames Biden administration for high gas prices
The first question asked of Vance on Saturday came from a 43-year-old Detroit barber, who asked why gas prices remained significantly higher than during Trump’s first term.
Vance first highlighted Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and the resulting disruptions in global energy markets, but he also placed blame on the Biden administration.
“That’s actually the main reason why gas prices are so high, because when Joe Biden was president, about 20% of U.S. refining capacity was offline,” Vance said.
Vance said the Trump administration was using the Defense Production Act to help restore domestic refining capacity, but warned that rebuilding that infrastructure would take time.
CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil pushed back against Vance’s attempts to blame Biden, pointing out that Trump and Vance have been in office for nearly two years as Americans continue to deal with high gas prices.
Vance pressed on White House corruption allegations
Dokoupil shifted the conversation to government corruption, citing a Fox News poll showing that 60 percent of voters were extremely concerned about the issue. He asked Vance if anything he witnessed inside the Trump White House made him feel “disgusted.”
“You certainly see evidence of corruption in Washington, D.C. Do I see evidence of corruption on the part of the President of the United States, on the part of the administration? No, Tony, I just don’t see any,” Vance said.
The exchange came days after Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece, following allegations that she demanded $100,000 from a donor seeking access to Trump administration officials. Guilfoyle has denied any wrongdoing.
Dokoupil pressed Vance on the allegations involving Guilfoyle, as well as his concerns about restrictions on the IRS’s review of Trump’s tax returns and the president’s cryptocurrency income.
This is an excerpt from an article by Elaine Mallon of Fox News.
Gn usa
