Senator J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, delivered a competitive performance during his recent debate against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, earning style points from pundits even as he raised eyebrows with his avoidance of key democratic commitments. While some observers felt Vance outperformed Trump’s earlier widely-criticized debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, others saw cracks in his approach—especially among Trump’s own supporters.
Former GOP strategist Stuart Stevens took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning to point out the surprising dissatisfaction from a portion of Trump’s base. According to Stevens, some hard-core Trump supporters were displeased with Vance’s debate performance, accusing him of focusing too much on himself and not enough on attacking Harris.
“Dive into hard-core MAGA social media. A lot of them hated Vance’s debate,” Stevens wrote. “They wanted Vance to expose Harris as the devil.”
Stevens argued that Vance’s failure to aggressively confront Harris, especially on hot-button issues, left many of Trump’s supporters feeling let down. Instead of going after Harris, Vance appeared more focused on positioning himself for future political ambitions, said Stevens. He claimed the Ohio senator used the debate to launch “a personal rehabilitation campaign aimed at 2028.”
“He wanted to become the Great White Hope of the [New York Times columnist Ross Douthat] crowd and the wealthy donors who know which fork to pick up,” Stevens continued. “Looking at Vance’s history, it should shock no one he put his own ambitions first.”
Stevens also highlighted that Vance didn’t endear himself to the political center either, especially with his refusal to directly answer questions regarding the events of January 6. “This is the only thing that will be remembered from this debate,” Stevens noted. “Vance was like the boyfriend who is confronted by an angry dad who asks him if he assaulted his daughter and the guy answers ‘I’m focused on the future.'”
While Vance may have gained some praise for his debate demeanor, the overall takeaway for many Trump supporters and critics alike was a lack of substance on critical issues. According to Stevens, Vance’s failure to commit to holding Vice President Kamala Harris accountable on key points—and his seeming focus on his personal political future—ultimately left many viewers disappointed.