In a recent development, President Joe Biden’s campaign has been accused of distorting a quote from Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio in two social media posts. The posts inaccurately portrayed Vance as praising a conservative think tank’s Project 2025 initiative and expressing support for a nationwide abortion ban and cuts to Social Security.
Both of these posts, shared on the “Biden-Harris HQ” account on X, formerly known as Twitter, included a nine-second video of Vance thanking Kevin Roberts and the Heritage Foundation for their work on conservative policies. However, the posts falsely claimed that Vance was complimenting Project 2025 and endorsing two unpopular policy proposals.
Upon further investigation, it was found that the full video of Vance’s speech to the Heritage Foundation did not mention Project 2025, abortion, or Social Security. The speech mainly focused on foreign policy, with some criticism of progressives. The Biden campaign had misleadingly edited Vance’s quote to fit their narrative.
Despite requests for comment, the Biden campaign did not respond to the accusations.
It was also revealed that Vance’s speech took place before the release of the Project 2025 policy document, which barely mentions Social Security and calls for stricter enforcement of an old law criminalizing the mailing of abortion pills.
Vance, who has expressed his opposition to abortion in the past, has also supported recent Supreme Court decisions on the matter. However, he has emphasized the need for exceptions in abortion policies, such as in cases of rape or when the life of the mother is at risk.
In conclusion, the Biden campaign’s attempt to distort Vance’s words has been met with criticism and calls for accountability. The full context of Vance’s speech and his actual views on abortion and other policies must be taken into consideration to avoid further misinformation.
