MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to Ohio Republican senator J.D. Vance. He joins us this morning from Cleveland. And Senator I ought to say, we’re having some technical points. So you are with us on Zoom. Hopefully, our uplink stays stable all through as a result of I bought plenty of questions for you, sir.
SENATOR J.D. VANCE: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Donald Trump had a greater evening on Thursday throughout that debate by many measures. But in accordance with our ballot, he fell quick on a minimum of certainly one of them. Fewer voters thought the previous president was truthful in contrast with President Biden. Mr. Trump falsely claimed states are passing laws to execute infants. I feel you recognize that killing individuals is prohibited in each state. He falsely claimed that the Speaker of the House on the time turned down 10,000 troopers that he had provided to maintain the peace forward of January 6, one thing his personal Acting Secretary of Defense testified to Congress didn’t occur. If he has such a robust platform. Why make false claims?
SEN. VANCE: Well, Margaret, I feel the media is operating interference on plenty of these things. We all know and Nancy Pelosi herself has admitted on digicam that she may have requested extra National Guard troops, she bears some duty for the truth that they weren’t there on the Capitol. We know that a- the a number of Democratic governors and states and even some Democratic senators and congressmen have tried to cross legal guidelines that may successfully legalize abortion up till the second of delivery. And most significantly, we all know that the media appears completely uninterested, in fact-checking Joe Biden from any of the variety of false claims that he made–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — You know, I misplaced observe, sir, I’ve been informed the media is on each single facet of this and all the pieces’s our fault. But let’s get again to the candidate you are right here to speak about. Chris Miller stated 10,000 Troops, he was by no means ordered by the President to ship these to the Capitol that day.
SEN. VANCE: Nancy Pelosi has stated on digicam, Margaret, that she bears some duty for the truth that the National Guard did not play a much bigger function. But in fact, we all know the Speaker of the House has a unprecedented quantity of affect over the Capitol Police. It’s not in dispute, Margaret and extra importantly, Joe Biden stated that no troops died on his watch, although 13 American service members died, due to his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Joe Biden made a number of statements of falsehood throughout the debate. And plenty of people within the media, sure, appeared completely uninterested, in truth, checking him. And the explanation Margaret is as a result of Donald Trump simply carried out so a lot better. There’s- there was- there was this 24-hour interval, the place successfully everybody sincere that there was an unimaginable distinction between Donald Trump’s power and command to the details, and Joe Biden’s apparent lack of ability to do the job as president. And now in fact, we have skilled this new media cycle the place people are attempting to run cowl. Look, the American individuals noticed what they noticed. Trump can do the job, Biden cannot.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You may not have heard it, however I did elevate plenty of these points to Wes Moore, the Biden surrogate who was on earlier than you. As to the place you stand on a few of these points tomorrow on the Supreme Court, it might be a major day as we get- anticipated to get that call on presidential immunity from prison prosecution. And that is immediately related to the federal prices in opposition to Donald Trump. As you recognize, you are a lawyer. I’m wondering in case you change into the Vice President and also you’re in a Trump-Vance administration. Do you imagine a president may pardon himself for federal crimes?
SEN. VANCE: Well, look, I’m targeted on electing Donald Trump as president, whether or not I’m serving in another roles serving because the United States Senator, I feel the Trump agenda has labored, Margaret. And on this explicit question–
MARGARET BRENNAN
— But would you object if the President had been to strive to try this?
SEN. VANCE: Maragret, we all know that the President has to have immunity to do his job. Should Barack Obama be prosecuted for droning American residents in Yemen? There are so many examples of presidents Democrats and Republicans who wouldn’t be capable to discharge their duties, if the Supreme Court doesn’t acknowledge some broad factor of presidential discretion. I’m very assured that they are going to have the ability to try this. And I’m very assured that the elemental precept right here is the President’s bought to have the ability to do his job in the identical means that cops, judges, prosecutors, get pleasure from some immunity, that precept has to use to the president too.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you do imagine {that a} president may pardon himself for federal crimes?
SEN. VANCE: I imagine that the President has broad pardon authority, Margaret, however extra importantly, I feel the President has immunity. It’s not about whether or not he ought to pardon himself. It’s about whether or not he needs to be prosecuted within the first place for discharging his official duties. So in that means, I kind of reject the premise of the query right here. We have to have some recognition that- you recognize, look, a Democrat wins the presidency, they attempt to throw the Republican president in jail or a Republican wins the president. They attempt to throw the Democrat president in jail, that’s the pathway to unraveling 250 years of American constitutional custom and making the president completely unable no matter celebration to do their job. That is just not a superb factor and it is not one thing I feel any Republican helps.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. To that time, President Trump on that debate stage on Thursday, steered that Joe Biden may very well be criminally prosecuted after he leaves workplace. It wasn’t clear precisely what crime he was alleging. But he talked about one thing in regards to the U.S. border. In a Trump-Vance administration, would your Justice Department prosecute Joe Biden? And if that’s the case, for what?
SEN. VANCE: Well, initially, that may be the duty of the Attorney General, Margaret. But Donald Trump didn’t say that he is attempting to throw his political opponent in jail. That is Joe Biden, who has in truth, already tried to do exactly that. And importantly, what he stated is that in case you apply the identical commonplace that Joe Biden’s Justice Department has utilized, then there are plenty of Democratic officers who may go to jail. He’s making a elementary argument about constitutional equity. It’s so extraordinary that folks may say that Donald Trump is the one attempting to make use of lawfare in opposition to his opponent someday within the hypothetical future, when the very actual president, that is precisely what Joe Biden is attempting to do. This is a danger–
MARGARET BRENNAN: But do you object to the premise?
SEN. VANCE: Right. And I feel that what we have to acknowledge is that making use of a constant commonplace is what actually issues.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you wouldn’t need the Justice Department to prosecute Joe Biden for any alleged crimes, appropriate?
SEN. VANCE: I would like individuals who- Margaret, I would like individuals who commit crimes to face the suitable response in legislation. What I don’t assume is cheap is for Joe Biden to weaponize his personal Justice Department, going after Donald Trump, any variety of crimes, a few of which have already been thrown out, a lot of which I feel will probably be thrown out, together with on Monday by the United States court docket. So the- the issue that I’ve Margaret is just not with which Democrats ought to prosecute which Republican and vice versa, it is let’s get out of the prosecuting of individuals based mostly on their politics. Let- let- let’s let voters determine who the president needs to be, not judges and prosecutors who’re politically motivated.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, you might be, as everybody is aware of, on this very quick listing of potential operating mates for Donald Trump. So for our viewers at house, you might be 40 years outdated, you’ve got been within the Senate for lower than two years, you have not held elected workplace earlier than this. If you might be chosen, alongside a nominee who’s 78 years outdated, you may be a heartbeat from the presidency. What do you assume your greatest accomplishment within the Senate has been up to now?
SEN. VANCE: Well Margaret, once more, I’m not operating for vp, and it is vital for us to do not forget that Donald Trump has been an excellent president, he will probably be an excellent president once more. I feel in some methods these vice presidential conversations serve to distract from the truth that now we have: Donald Trump as president was successful, Joe Biden as president has been a failure. Let’s get again to success. Let’s get again to peace and prosperity. My angle on the vice [president] factor, Margaret, is look, if he requested me, I need to assist them. And in fact, I’d be very within the job. But you requested, what are my accomplishments within the United States Senate, and 18 months, Margaret, we have completed plenty of good work for our constituents. We’ve bought lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to the Great Lakes. We’ve completed rather a lot to assist the individuals of East Palestine cope with a horrible practice catastrophe. And in fact, we have completed plenty of work on ensuring that Ohio has gotten protection sources that make not simply Ohio however our nation stronger. So there’s rather a lot we will dangle our hat on. But I like being a senator. I’m not attempting to go away the United States Senate. It’s an honor to serve the individuals of Ohio. And frankly, in case you requested me, that is the place I count on to be in six months. That’s the place I count on to be in a couple of years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper, J.D. Vance. We’ll be watching and hopefully we’ll have you ever again in-studio subsequent time.
