During a podcast taping with conservative comedian Tim Dillon, Vance was visibly relaxed and spoke more freely than at public campaign events, making a few inflammatory comments about foreign policy and Harris.
Comparing the war in Ukraine to the potential for conflict in Taiwan, Vance said Ukraine is not that important to the United States because it “makes a lot of computer chips.” Asking Dillon what led to the war in Ukraine, Vance asked his own question and answered: “Did American diplomacy actually create conflict instead of spreading it? I think it is.”
Later in the debate, Vance also took aim at America’s allies in Europe, as Dillon questioned the United States’ relationship with NATO. “I mean, look, if I was a European country, I would feel sorry for myself in a way. … Because these boys don’t even have their own country anymore. They just do whatever the US tells them,” he said.
He went further with the rhetoric in the interview than he often does in public campaign speeches, making several remarks that contradicted the established “Midwestern cool” and associated persona he had adopted for most media appearances.
Vance often attacks Harris on the stump, but his comments with Dillon took a particularly gendered hit. Out of the gate, Vance began mocking Harris for his smile, calling it awkward and inauthentic.
“I’ve been trying to put my finger on what Kamala Harris is about, like a very fake laugh that I find very unpleasant, and it’s like someone laughing that really bothers you,” Vance said.
Later in the conversation, Vance described Harris as fun and generally likable — though he noted that he had only met him in person once.
“There’s a lot going on at school. I just don’t know,” he said.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.