Sen. JD Vance told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that “I don’t like those comments” when asked about far-right activist Laura Loomer’s remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris last week.
Loomer drew widespread condemnation from Republicans and Democrats alike last week for posting on social media that the White House “will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center” if Harris wins the presidential election.
“What Laura said about Kamala Harris is not what we should be focused on. We should be focused on the policy and on the issues,” Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, told moderator Kristen Welker.
After fielding questions from Welker about whether the comments offended Vance and his wife, who is Indian American, the Ohio Republican said he doesn’t “look at the internet for every single thing to get offended by.”
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The GOP vice presidential nominee added, “I make a mean chicken curry, [but] I don’t think that it’s insulting for anybody to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House.”
Trump came under fire this week for his seemingly close relationship with Loomer, a far-right activist who traveled with the former president on the campaign trail this week, including to 9/11 memorial services on Wednesday.
In the past, Loomer has espoused conspiracy theories about 9/11. Just this week, she posted, “23 years later, and there’s still a lot of unanswered questions.”
She has also given voice to conspiracy theories about pop star Taylor Swift and her romantic relationship with football player Travis Kelce, calling it “arranged” and saying the relationship is meant to help Democrats win the upcoming election. Loomer has also questioned the reality behind mass shootings, wondering whether they’ve been staged to help Democrats win votes.
On Friday, Trump told NBC News, “I don’t know that much about it. No, I don’t,” when asked whether he’s familiar with Loomer’s conspiracy theories.
He added, “I know she’s a big fan of the campaign, but I really don’t know.”
Later that day, in a post on Truth Social, he wrote that Loomer “doesn’t work for the Campaign. She’s a private citizen and longtime supporter. I disagree with the statements she made but, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me.”