J.D. Vance under fire Suddenly Trump has to justify himself for his running mate

When Donald Trump made J.D. Vance his running mate, it seemed smart. But ever since old statements by Vance were unearthed in which he appears to insult childless women, he has come under fire.

Donald Trump is used to defending himself against criticism. This week he faced a completely different challenge: he had to back another person.

When the former American president introduced the fairly young Senator J.D. Vance as his "running mate" as part of his renewed candidacy, it seemed like a smart move. Many are now wondering whether it was actually a good choice.

After Vance's nomination at the party convention in July, a number of Republicans admitted that they did not know too much about the man who would become vice-president if Trump won the election.

Disparaging remark about "childless cat ladies"

A lot has been reported about Vance in recent days - but not all of it positive. He caused a particularly big stir with disparaging remarks about "childless cat ladies" who would lead the country into misery.

He was referring to Kamala Harris, the prospective Democratic presidential candidate, and other women who have not had children - a criticism of a very large section of the population.

On Wednesday, even Trump, who is known for his sharp provocations, felt compelled to calm down. "My interpretation is that he is very family-oriented. But that doesn't mean it's somehow wrong if you don't have a family," he said of his running mate at a conference of the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago.

Conservative commentators, Republican strategists and even party officials share the view that Vance's start has not necessarily been a success. Some have only said so in private, others have done so publicly.

Vance has not yet apologized

Democrats, meanwhile, point to other statements made by Vance in the past, such as on abortion rights - or a statement to the effect that parents deserve more voting rights than childless adults.

"I hate the police"J.D. Vance's past catches up with him

"I think if he had thought two or three years ago: 'I could be on a presidential ticket in a few years' - he might have chosen different words," said Kevin Cramer, Republican senator and long-time Trump supporter, on Wednesday.

Cramer also raised the possibility of an apology from Vance for the remarks about childless American women. "Should he feel the need to apologize, people could forgive a lot," he said.

So far, Vance has not done so. And from the inner circle of Trump's campaign team, it was said on Tuesday that there had been "zero talks" about a possible replacement for Vance. A senior Trump adviser told the AP news agency on condition of anonymity that the voters' attention would soon be focused entirely on the person nominated as the Democrats' running mate.

Political newcomer

The 39-year-old Vance has only been in office as a senator for 18 months. However, he quickly managed to establish himself as a central figure in the Trump camp in Washington. Many Republicans would have preferred a party colleague with more experience at the side of their presidential candidate, such as Tim Scott or Marco Rubio, both of whom also sit in the Senate.

US electionTrump selects J.D. Vance as vice presidential candidate

Some assume that the decision in favor of Vance was made at a time when the Trump team was a little overconfident and assumed a clear victory in a duel against Joe Biden. The president's decision not to run again fundamentally changed the race.

Twice in the past century, a candidate for the office of Vice President has been replaced. The last time this happened was in 1972, when Democratic candidate George McGovern chose a new running mate after it became known that Tom Eagleton, who had initially been nominated, had been undergoing treatment for mental illness.

Not so long ago, in the 2008 election, Republican candidate John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his "running mate" proved to be rather detrimental to his own chances.

Trump: Vance "great in every way"

Despite the current uproar, the feeling among Republicans so far seems to be that the situation is far from being so bad that Vance needs to be replaced. "This is a short-term obstacle along the way," says Republican pollster Neil Newhouse.

On Wednesday, Trump tried to play down the general significance of the personnel issue. "It's historically well documented that the vice president has no influence, almost no influence, on the election," he said when asked about Vance. "You can have a vice president who is great in every way - and I think J.D. is, I think they all would have been. But you choose the president. You vote for me."

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy says Vance will probably "take a few hits at first, but then gain traction." It is quite normal for someone who is nominated for high office to be thoroughly scrutinized, he emphasized to reporters.

Another Republican senator, John Kennedy, is asked about Vance as he gets into an elevator at the Capitol. "It's an election campaign. People twist what you say," he replies. "They're not twisting. You're quoting him," replies Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, who is standing next to him.