People are cheering on Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan following critical comments he made about his Republican opponent JD Vance's embarrassing appearance at a rally for former Republican President Donald Trump.
During Vance's fawning appearance at Trump's rally, the former President openly mocked him from the dais, saying Vance was "kissing my a**" in an attempt to land Trump's support.
Ryan seized on the humiliating opportunity, referencing it during their debate and turning it into a moment to perfectly and succinctly contrast their contrasting qualifications for the United States Senate.
Trump's comments towards Vance, which occurred at a rally last month in Youngstown, Ohio left many observers of politics slack-jawed for the way he seemed to mock Vance as a sycophant, mockery Vance seemed to have eaten up.
Here is the debate moment with Youngstown MAGA rally edited in.
Trump told the crowd:
“JD is kissing my a**, he wants my support so much.”
At the debate between Ryan and Vance, Ryan took the former President's words and turned them into a perfect summation of the Ohio Senate race, saying Trump's comments reveal Vance is "gonna do whatever [Trump] wants."
Ryan also pointed to enormous donations from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's PAC and from right-wing Republican PayPal founder Peter Thiel as indications Vance will be nothing more than a puppet for conservative interests.
But as damning as all that was, it didn't hold a candle to the way Ryan went on to underline how profoundly Vance had been humiliated by the former President and the lack of self-respect and courage Vance showed by lapping it up as if it were praise.
He said:
"After Trump took JD Vance's dignity from him, on the stage in Youngstown, JD Vance got back up onstage and started shaking his hand and taking pictures and saying, 'Hey, aren't we having a great time here tonight?'"
"I don’t know anybody I grew up with, I don’t know anybody I went to high school with, that would allow somebody to take their dignity like that and then get back up on stage.”
"We need leaders who have courage to take on their own party, and I've proven that.
"He was called an a**-kisser by the former President."
Ryan concluded:
"Ohio needs an a**-kicker, not an a**-kisser."
Woo!
Someone call 911 because we got a dead body here.
On Twitter, Ryan's words drew praise with many holding his debate up as a blueprint for how Democrats can win in November.
After the debate ended, Vance reportedly left the stage and the building quickly instead of attending the post-debate press gaggle with Ryan.
A staffer was sent in Vance's place.
Despite Vance's embarrassing Trump moment, he and Ryan are running at a virtual tie, with Ryan just 0.2% ahead of Vance in the polls.
Here's hoping that lead widens in these last few weeks before November 8.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads