WEBVTT - JD Vance and the abortion battle

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<v Speaker 1>From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey.

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<v Speaker 1>It's Wednesday, October nine. Peter Dutton says the Prime Minister

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<v Speaker 1>is speaking out of both sides of his mouth on

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<v Speaker 1>conflict in the Middle East. That's after Parliament failed to

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<v Speaker 1>muster bipartisan support for emotion honoring victims of Hermas's twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three attack on Israel. A secret report says a

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<v Speaker 1>powerful union leader was ousted by members who fabricated sexual

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<v Speaker 1>assault allegations against him. That exclusive story is live right

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<v Speaker 1>now at the Australian dot Com dot a U. It's

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<v Speaker 1>the election issue everyone's talking about, and abortion is threatening

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<v Speaker 1>to define the White House run of Republican VP nominee jd. Vance.

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<v Speaker 1>In today's episode, our Washington DC correspondent gets up close

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<v Speaker 1>and personal with the combative, enigmatic senator with big ambitions.

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<v Speaker 1>In twenty twenty two, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe

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<v Speaker 1>versus Wade. That was a nineteen seventy three decision by

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<v Speaker 1>the same court that had become part of America's legal fabric,

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<v Speaker 1>the idea that the Constitution of the United States contained

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<v Speaker 1>a right to abortion. The twenty twenty two decision was

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<v Speaker 1>made by a five to four majority of the court's justices.

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<v Speaker 1>Those included three judges appointed by former President Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>There was jubilation, did not enjoy that it was fine,

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<v Speaker 1>return determination of feeling determination battle is not over, and

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<v Speaker 1>devastation and feels like convey doesn't love me in Momai.

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<v Speaker 1>As a way, the twenty twenty two decision didn't ban abortion.

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<v Speaker 1>It handed authority back to the states, meaning it's now

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<v Speaker 1>up to individual states to decide if and how women

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<v Speaker 1>can terminate pregnancies. Some states, like Texas, Oklahoma, and South

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<v Speaker 1>Dakota made seeking or administering abortions a criminal offense, with

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<v Speaker 1>few exceptions for protection of the life of the mother.

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<v Speaker 1>Others like New York, Oregon, and California moved swiftly to

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<v Speaker 1>protect and even expand abortion access.

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<v Speaker 2>So you'll often see in polls of key issues that

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<v Speaker 2>abortion is oftentimes within the top ten issues of importance

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<v Speaker 2>to American voters. Now, I think that's very unlikely to

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<v Speaker 2>be the case in Australia.

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<v Speaker 1>Claire Joe Kelly is The Australian's correspondent in Washington, DC.

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<v Speaker 2>We tend to think that Australia and America are similar

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<v Speaker 2>most of the time. They are actually significant and important

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<v Speaker 2>differences between us and I think this is one of

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<v Speaker 2>the Kamala Harris has pledged to en trying the protections

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<v Speaker 2>of Roe versus Way in federal law, and the Trump

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<v Speaker 2>position is to essentially let abortion become a federal issue

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<v Speaker 2>and the states will determine their own positions on abortion.

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<v Speaker 1>Back in twenty twenty two, when the Supreme Court made

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<v Speaker 1>this decision to overturn Roe versus Wade, Donald Trump seemed

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<v Speaker 1>to be pretty clear, and he was at the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>of his election campaign too, that this was the result

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<v Speaker 1>of the appointments that he made. He appointed conservative judges

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<v Speaker 1>knowing that this was their opinion.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I did something that nobody know as possible. I

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<v Speaker 3>got rid of Roe v.

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<v Speaker 4>Wed.

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<v Speaker 3>And by doing that he seems to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Walked back from that a little bit now. Is that

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<v Speaker 1>you're a reading of it too.

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<v Speaker 3>This is an issue that's torn our country apart for

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<v Speaker 3>fifty two years. Every legal scholar, every Demo create, every Republican,

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<v Speaker 3>liberal conservative, they all wanted this issue to be brought

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<v Speaker 3>back to the states where the people could vote. And

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<v Speaker 3>that's what happened. It's the vote of the people now

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<v Speaker 3>it's not tied up in the federal government.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Donald Trump wants to ensure that he's got

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<v Speaker 2>a broad appeal. What he is saying is that it

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<v Speaker 2>is a fair position to let this issue be determined

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<v Speaker 2>by the states.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think one of the problems.

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<v Speaker 2>Is if you have a situation where important positions, essentially

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<v Speaker 2>policy decisions are effectively being implemented by way of court decisions,

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<v Speaker 2>because it's always open to the court to change its position.

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<v Speaker 2>I think he's embracing that position to try and ensure

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<v Speaker 2>that the Republicans don't scare people on this issue. And

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<v Speaker 2>that was one of the points that jd Vance made

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<v Speaker 2>in that vice presidential debate where he actually said that

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<v Speaker 2>the Republicans had mishandled this issue in the past.

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<v Speaker 5>As a Republican who he proudly wants to protect innocent

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<v Speaker 5>life in this country, who proudly wants to protect the vulnerable,

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<v Speaker 5>is that my party, We've got to do so much

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<v Speaker 5>better of a job at earning the American people's trust

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<v Speaker 5>back on this issue where they frankly just don't trust us.

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<v Speaker 5>And I think that's one of the things that Donald

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<v Speaker 5>Trump and I are endeavoring to do.

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<v Speaker 2>That was a major concession that he made Claire, and

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<v Speaker 2>he said that the Republicans needed to win back people's

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<v Speaker 2>trust on this issue. So this is the formula that

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<v Speaker 2>they've arrived at to try and achieve that.

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump's running mate JD. Vance was in August adamant.

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<v Speaker 1>Trump was not seeking a national ban, so he had

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<v Speaker 1>veto a federal abortion ban. I think he would.

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<v Speaker 5>He said that explicitly that he would.

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<v Speaker 1>Last week in a debate with the Democratic rival Tim Walls,

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<v Speaker 1>Vance towed the party line.

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<v Speaker 5>And the proper way to handle this, as messy as

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<v Speaker 5>democracy sometimes is, is to let voters make these Decisionsans

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<v Speaker 5>and JD.

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<v Speaker 1>Vance says his own position on abortion supportive of type restrictions.

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<v Speaker 1>After fifteen weeks gestation has evolved following a vote in

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<v Speaker 1>his home state, and.

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<v Speaker 5>The people of Ohio voted overwhelmingly, by the way, against

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<v Speaker 5>my position. And I think that what I learned from that, Nora,

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<v Speaker 5>is that we've got to do a better job at

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<v Speaker 5>winning back people's trust.

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<v Speaker 1>But in recent days Vance went off script, apparently revealing

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<v Speaker 1>the Republicans would defund Planned Parenthood. That's a national provider

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<v Speaker 1>of reproductive healthcare. Contraception counseling, and in some cases abortions.

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<v Speaker 5>Look, I mean, our view is we don't think that

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<v Speaker 5>taxpayers should fund late term abortions. That has been a

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<v Speaker 5>consistent view of the Drop campaign the first time around.

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<v Speaker 5>It will remain a consistent view.

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<v Speaker 1>There's hyperbole on both sides of this debate. Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>has suggested the Democrats want to kill babies.

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<v Speaker 3>Her vice presidential says abortion in the ninth month is

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<v Speaker 3>absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth, it's an execution,

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<v Speaker 3>no longer abortion because the baby is born is okay.

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<v Speaker 1>And Kamala Harris paints Trump as a misogynist.

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<v Speaker 6>So he who when he was president hands selected three

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<v Speaker 6>members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention

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<v Speaker 6>that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade,

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<v Speaker 6>and they did just as he intended. This is the

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<v Speaker 6>same guy who said that women should be punished for

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<v Speaker 6>having abortions. This is the same guy who uses the

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<v Speaker 6>kind of language he does to describe women.

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<v Speaker 1>It's about women, too, isn't it, Joe. It seems to

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<v Speaker 1>me that the Democrats really think that this is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be the thing that gets women out to vote yes.

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<v Speaker 2>And they keep arguing that the real position of the

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<v Speaker 2>Republicans is for a national ban on abortion. So that's

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<v Speaker 2>the argument. They're saying that you can't trust the Republicans

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<v Speaker 2>on this issue. You can't trust Donald Trump. And indeed

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<v Speaker 2>jd Vance has somewhat softened his position himself on abortion

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<v Speaker 2>over the years, like he has on many issues.

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<v Speaker 1>Claire coming up, how jd Vance has become the most

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<v Speaker 1>interesting player in this race. Joe Kelly went along to

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<v Speaker 1>a jd Van speech on Tuesday at a rally to

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<v Speaker 1>honor Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm gonna get a little political here. It is disgraceful

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<v Speaker 4>that we have an American president and vice president who

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<v Speaker 4>haven't done a thing. Vice President Harris our messages, bring

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<v Speaker 4>them home, use your authority to help bring them home.

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<v Speaker 1>We can do it. We just need real leadership. What's

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<v Speaker 1>your sense of him up close?

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<v Speaker 2>I think he's very articulate. He has a sense of

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<v Speaker 2>easy charisma. I think that he's persuasive. He presents well,

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<v Speaker 2>but while he's strong in presentation, he's untested in substance.

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<v Speaker 2>I think essentially what Donald Trump sees in jd Vance

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<v Speaker 2>has given jd Vance's age. He's so young, at just

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<v Speaker 2>forty years old. I think he sees someone who will

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<v Speaker 2>be loyal to him and who could potentially carry the

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<v Speaker 2>trump Ism torch, if you like, into the future and

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<v Speaker 2>act as a pillar of resistance against the old Republican

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<v Speaker 2>establishment in the years to come. And the criticism of JD.

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<v Speaker 2>Vans that's been made by Joe Biden and the Democrats

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<v Speaker 2>is that he is a clone of Donald Trump. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think you can see that pushback from the old

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<v Speaker 2>Republican establishment. You see it in the fact that Liz

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<v Speaker 2>Cheney is campaigning with Kamala Harris at the moment, Dick

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<v Speaker 2>Cheney does not support Donald Trump, and George W. Bush

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<v Speaker 2>is not saying how he will vote.

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<v Speaker 1>He's, of course, famously the never Trumper. He once compared

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<v Speaker 1>Trump to Hitler. Now he says that he was mistaken

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<v Speaker 1>then and that actually now this is the real JD.

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<v Speaker 1>Vance and he's come to realize that Donald Trump was

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<v Speaker 1>unfairly misrepresented and he's actually much more of a genius

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<v Speaker 1>than anyone expected.

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<v Speaker 5>I was wrong about Donald Trump. I was wrong, first

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<v Speaker 5>of all because I believed some of the media stories

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<v Speaker 5>that turned out to be dinnisionist fabrications of his record,

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<v Speaker 5>but most importantly, Donald Trump delivered for the American people.

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<v Speaker 1>He's in a tough position, isn't he, Joe. He's got

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<v Speaker 1>to step his way through things that Trump is very

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<v Speaker 1>passionate about, like, for example, the result of the twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty election, keeping him on side while also not appearing foolish.

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<v Speaker 2>Essentially, there are two JD. Van, says Claire. So there's

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<v Speaker 2>the JD. Vance, who is the exemplification of us exceptalism.

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<v Speaker 2>He embodies the story of the American dream, pulling yourself

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<v Speaker 2>up by your own bootstraps, growing up in poverty in

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<v Speaker 2>rural Ohio, his mother struggling with drugs, enlisting in the Marines,

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<v Speaker 2>going on to attend Yale where he did law, becoming

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<v Speaker 2>a venture capitalist, and then obviously penning that best selling

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<v Speaker 2>memoir back in twenty sixteen. So there's that version of JD.

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<v Speaker 5>Vans.

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<v Speaker 2>And then on the other side there's the criticism. There's

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<v Speaker 2>the idea that JD. Vans is a political chameleon, that

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<v Speaker 2>he's an opportunist, that he does what he needs to

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<v Speaker 2>do to get ahead, transforming from the never Trumper that

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<v Speaker 2>he was in twenty sixteen when he was releasing that

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<v Speaker 2>best selling memoir and becoming a Trump loyalist. So apparently

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<v Speaker 2>this all changed in about February twenty twenty one when

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<v Speaker 2>he had a meeting with Trump at Mari Lago in Florida.

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<v Speaker 2>So there are reports that at that point he apologized

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<v Speaker 2>to Try, claiming he had brought into a narrative that

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<v Speaker 2>had been spread by the mainstream media. So now he

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<v Speaker 2>finds himself in this position where he has to be

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<v Speaker 2>sympathetic to the core tenets of Trumpism. So this relates

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<v Speaker 2>to things like the twenty twenty election being stolen. He

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<v Speaker 2>has endorsed the idea there was widespread fraud, that there

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<v Speaker 2>were people voting illegally, And he's also a taken aim

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<v Speaker 2>at Mike Pence, suggesting that he wouldn't have certified the

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<v Speaker 2>vote back in January twenty twenty one.

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<v Speaker 1>Did he lose the twenty twenty election.

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<v Speaker 5>Tim, I'm focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor

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<v Speaker 5>Americans from speaking their mind and the wake of the

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<v Speaker 5>twenty twenty COVID situation?

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<v Speaker 1>That is a damning non answer.

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<v Speaker 5>It's a damning non answer for you to not talk

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<v Speaker 5>about censorship.

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<v Speaker 2>So he's had this unbelievable transformation into a maga populist.

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Kelly is the Australian's correspondent in Washington DC. You

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<v Speaker 1>can read all his reporting, plus the rest of the

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<v Speaker 1>nation's Best Journalism twenty four seven, at the Australian dot

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<v Speaker 1>com dot u