In response to JD Vance cozying up to Tucker Carlson after his now infamous interview with a Holocaust denier, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Just days after ultra-MAGA extremist Tucker Carlson lavished praise on a Holocaust denier in a friendly interview, JD Vance rushed to be one of Carlson’s next guests. Instead of calling out Carlson for his shameful actions, Vance is cozying up to him – and it’s no surprise considering far-right extremist Carlson was a staunch advocate for Donald Trump picking Vance as his running mate in the first place. Every time Vance rubs shoulders with out-of-touch creeps like Carlson, he reminds Americans why he’s the most extreme and least popular VP candidate in decades.” 

JD Vance is cozying up to Tucker Carlson in the aftermath of his shameful elevation of a Holocaust denier – Vance is refusing to criticize Carlson, instead sitting down for an interview with him and scheduling another event with him later this month.

Jewish Insider: “J.D. Vance declines to criticize Tucker Carlson over his friendly conversation with Holocaust denier”

The Bulwark: “Vance pre-recorded an interview with Tucker Carlson on Thursday just hours after the White House criticized the right-wing populist for featuring a historian who suggested, a few days before, that the Holocaust happened by accident.”

New York Times: “Mr. Vance is scheduled to be interviewed live by Mr. Carlson for his social media show on Sept. 21 in Hershey, Pa.”

Carlson is a member of Vance’s inner circle and rooted for Trump to pick Vance as his running mate.

Politico: “The former Fox News superstar [Tucker Carlson] used his prime-time show to promote Vance’s Senate candidacy in 2022 and has remained one of his most ardent public supporters. Vance is a regular guest on Carlson’s new platform… and Carlson reportedly personally lobbied Trump to pick Vance as his vice presidential candidate in the days leading up to the Republican National Convention.”

New York Times: “How Tucker Carlson Helped Sell J.D. Vance as Trump’s Running Mate”

New York Times: “Mr. Carlson was a key advocate in pressing Mr. Trump to name Mr. Vance as his running mate, ultimately drowning out other voices who wanted a more moderate or seasoned pick.”

REMINDER: Trump kicked off his 2024 campaign by rubbing shoulders with white nationalist and antisemite Nick Fuentes, who Trump has still refused to condemn to this day – and Vance defended Trump’s decision to dine with him.

Rolling Stone: “J.D. Vance Likes That Trump ‘Will Talk to Anybody,’ Including Nazi-Loving Nick Fuentes”

CNN: “Trump hosted Holocaust denier at Mar-a-Lago estate during visit with Kanye West, a week after announcing 2024 run”

Axios: “Former President Trump dined and conversed with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night, according to two sources familiar with the matter. … Fuentes, who frequently promotes racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, had been spotted with Ye at Mar-a-Lago, but reports erroneously suggested he did not have dinner with the former president.”

The Guardian: “Donald Trump repeatedly refused to disavow the outspoken antisemite and white supremacist Nick Fuentes after they spoke over dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort. … Trump ultimately made clear that he fundamentally did not want to criticise Fuentes.”

Vance is deeply connected with other extremists, including Project 2025 architects Kevin Roberts and Russell Vought, as well as Steve Bannon.

New Republic: “Vance has deep ties to the Heritage Foundation, and in particular to Kevin Roberts, who has been president of the right-wing think tank since 2021 and is the architect of Project 2025. Vance has praised Roberts for helping to turn the organization ‘into the de facto institutional home of Trumpism’ and has endorsed elements of Project 2025. Vance is also the author of the foreword to Roberts’s upcoming book.”

Axios: “J.D. Vance wrote foreword of upcoming book from Project 2025 architect”

New Republic: “Project 2025 Leader Is Overjoyed by Trump’s Vice Presidential Pick”

Nick Corasaniti, New York Times: “[Roberts] reacted to the news [of Vance’s VP selection] ‘with a broad smile on my face’ and said that ‘privately, we were really rooting for him.’”

Vox: “Kevin Roberts, the president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and the driving force behind Project 2025, told Ward that ‘[Vance] is absolutely going to be one of the leaders — if not the leader — of our movement.’”

The Guardian: “Revealed: top Vance aide worked for far-right consultancy with extremist links”

Politico: “Vance’s inner circle already bears the imprint of Trump’s influence, with a handful of advisers and staffers who have one foot in Vance’s camp and one foot in Trump world…

“​​The leader of the organization behind the now-infamous Project 2025, [Kevin] Roberts is a long-time Vance ally in Washington, having called him ‘one of the leaders — if not the leader — of our movement.’ The two men have appeared together at public events and co-authored op-eds about foreign policy, and Vance even wrote the foreword to Roberts’ forthcoming book…

“[Project 2025 architect Russell Vought] told POLITICO Magazine that he is in ‘regular contact’ with Vance’s Hill office and that ‘we probably have one of the closest relationships with [Vance’s] office that we do with any Hill office.’ …

“The former Trump strategist [Steve Bannon] is another of Vance’s key allies in the conservative media ecosphere, frequently hosting Vance on his show, War Room, and promoting him to his sizable social media following.”