A spokesman for JD Vance sharply criticized the Associated Press for publishing a headline on Thursday that suggested the Republican vice presidential candidate had dismissed school shootings as a “fact of life.”
In an exclusive comment to Fox News Digital, Vance spokesman William Martin attacked the AP.
“This is another case of the fake news media brazenly lying about a Republican politician. Senator Vance said the exact opposite of what the Associated Press claimed. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the AP has lost any credibility it had years ago, because they lie about literally everything to prop up Democrats. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris has called for removing all police officers from schools, putting children across America at risk. This is another example of how Kamala Harris’ weak, failed and dangerously liberal agenda makes her unfit for office,” Martin said.
At a rally in Phoenix, Vance commented on the mass shooting that occurred on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia.
Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) speaks at a rally for trucking company Team Hardinger in Erie, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2024. Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
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“I don’t like that being a fact,” Vance said. “But if you’re a psychopath and you want to make headlines, you have to realize that our schools are easy targets. And we need to beef up security in our schools. We need to beef up security so that a psychopath who comes through the front door and kills a bunch of kids isn’t able to do that.”
However, in reporting the quote, AP seemed to imply that Vance had called school shootings a “fact of life” in a callous or condescending manner.
“JD Vance says school shootings are a ‘fact,’ calls for more security,” the headline and X-post originally read.
“Misleading headline: The full quote is: ‘I don’t like that this is a fact,'” said a suggested X community note for the X post.
The Associated Press has deleted the X-article. (X Screenshot)
AP later replaced both the headline and the X-post, confirming the update.
The new headline reads: “JD Vance laments that school shootings are a ‘fact’ and calls for more safety measures.”
“This post replaces an earlier post that was deleted to provide context to the partial quote from Vance,” the AP posted.
Fox News Digital has reached out to AP for comment but has not yet received a response.
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The Harris-Walz campaign responded by attacking Vance and former President Trump.
“Yesterday, in response to yet another senseless school shooting, Vice President Harris said, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way.’ Donald Trump and JD Vance think school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and ‘we need to get over it,'” Harris-Walz 2024 spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement.
Moussa continued, “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz know we can do something to protect our children and prevent criminals from getting guns. Donald Trump and JD Vance will always put the NRA and the gun lobby ahead of our children. That is the choice in this election.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris also attacked Vance on X, saying: “School shootings are not just a fact of life. They don’t have to be. We can take action to protect our children – and we will.”
Vance responded to the social media post by accusing Harris of spreading “lies about what I said.”
