Five Takeaways from NewsNation's town hall with JD Vance

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) took questions from Republicans, Democrats, and independents during a town hall in Detroit on Thursday with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. 

The Republican vice presidential nominee fielded questions on a number of topics including the economy, immigration, abortion and the war in Ukraine and welcomed a call in from former President Trump.

The town hall comes as both campaigns are crisscrossing the country less than two weeks out from Election Day. 

Here are five takeaways from NewsNation’s town hall with Vance. 

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Vance strikes unifying tone 

The Ohio senator sought to strike a unifying tone during Thursday’s forum, marking a contrast with former President Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail. 

While Vance was strongly critical of Vice President Harris throughout the town hall, he kept his criticisms to her policies and leadership style rather than making personal insults.

But when asked about political discourse in the country, Vance urged Americans not to let politics divide their friends and family. 

Vance said it is a “terrible mistake” to discard lifelong friendships because “somebody else votes for the other team.” 

“Whether you vote for me, whether you vote for Donald Trump, whether you vote for Kamala Harris, don’t cast aside family members and life-long friendships. Politics is not worth it,” he said. 

“As your vice president for the next four years, I’ll always try to talk to people,” he said, vowing to do events and take questions with people he does not see eye to eye with. 

The somewhat softer and agreeable tone from Vance appeared to echo his performance during his vice president debate against Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) earlier this month, which was seen as substantive and even affable. 

Vance praises Trump’s fitness for office 

Vance took the opportunity to praise Trump’s fitness for office during the town as Democrats have ramped up their attacks on Trump over the issue. 

The senator was responding to a question from a viewer who asked who he would go to for advice if he were to become president. Vance said the first confidant he would seek advice from is his wife Usha, but said Trump would “be a good president for all four years.” 

“Just look at the campaign schedule Trump has kept compared to his Democratic opponents. He’s doing like three public events for every event Kamala Harris has done,” Vance said.

The comments come as Harris and other Democrats have accused Trump, 78, of not being fit for office.

Earlier on Thursday Harris hit Trump for not taking part in a CNN debate, suggesting he is “exhausted.” 

"Clearly his staff has been saying he's exhausted. And the sad part about that is he's trying to be president of the United States, probably the toughest job in the world. And he's exhausted,” Harris told reporters. 

Trump calls into town hall

While Vance was the subject of Thursday’s town hall, Trump made an appearance over the phone during the forum. 

The former president elicited laughter from the audience when he asked Vance, “How brilliant is Donald J. Trump?” 

“First of all sir, this is supposed to be undecided voters. I would hope that I have your vote of all people,” Vance said, noting that Trump is “very brilliant.”

Vance recounted a conversation between his wife Usha and Trump, during which Trump asked her what she thought about her husband working in public service.

“She gives, if you know my wife, a very diplomatic answer,” Vance said. “‘Sir, he really cares about the people of Ohio. He’s thrilled to be able to serve them and I’m happy to support him however I can,’ and President Trump chuckles and says, ‘Yeah, my wife hates it too.”

Vance said the exchange between his wife and the former president “broke the barrier” between them. 

“That ability to relate to anybody in that environment, I think that’s the true brilliance of Donald J. Trump,” Vance said. 

Trump then asked Vance, “How brilliant is Kamala Harris?”

“That’s a very tough one, sir,” Vance said, laughing.

The former president wrapped his call in, saying Vance is doing a “fantastic job.”

Vance addresses unfounded claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio 

Vance addressed unfounded claims he amplified last month about Haitian immigrants abducting and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

“What I said then, and I’ll say now, is, you’re hearing a lot of things from your constituents. They’re telling you things, and I think it’s important for me to listen to the people that are coming to me with their problems," Vance said. 

“Now, do I think that the media certainly got distracted on the housing crisis and the health crisis and the crisis in the public schools by focusing on the eating the dogs and the cats things? Yeah, I do. Do I wish that I had been better in that moment? Maybe,” he said. 

“But it’s also people in my community, people that I represent are coming to me and saying this thing is happening. What am I supposed to do? Hang up the phone and tell them they’re a liar because the media doesn’t want me to talk about it?”

Springfield, Ohio's police department denied that any such incidents involving pets took place. Former President Trump further amplified the false claim during his presidential debate against Vice President Harris, which received backlash from Democrats and Republicans.

However, the claims resulted in numerous bomb threats being called into Springfield and two colleges in the area temporarily closing out of safety concerns. Democrats and Republicans inside and outside of the state condemned the claims. 

Vance says there can be ‘reasonable compromise’ on abortion 

Vance said Republicans and Democrats could reach a “reasonable compromise” on abortion at the state and federal level. 

“I think that we can actually have a reasonable compromise position on this issue where California makes its abortion policy, Michigan makes its abortion policy, Florida makes its abortion policy, and at the federal level, we make it easier for young families to choose life to begin with,” Vance said. 

The senator was responding to a question about if he would favor a nationwide ban. Vance has expressed support for a nationwide ban on the procedure in the past, but has since distanced himself from the stance. He has also pointed out that Trump would veto a national abortion ban. 

Republicans have been on the defense about abortion since Roe v. Wade, which legalized the procedure federally, was overturned in 2022. Since then, Democrats have successful won a number of races on the issue. Democrats are continuing to tout the issue up and down the ballot ahead of Election Day. 

“Very often what we miss on my side, what we missed as Republicans, is this is not people who are enthusiastic about having abortions,” Vance said. “Sometimes they think that’s the only option available to them. And so what we ought to do as somebody who does want to promote the cause of life is to make it easier to choose life to begin with.”

“We’ll earn the trust of the American people, but two we’ll actually be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word, he continued. “I think we’d got to earn people’s trust.”