In a dramatic revelation, the New York Times has uncovered emails from 2014 that show Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) expressing strong disdain for law enforcement. This comes amid a surge of claims by former President Donald Trump on Truth Social accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of wanting to defund the police, based on her questioning of police funding allocations.
The Times reports that the emails and texts, obtained from Vance’s longtime friend Sofia Nelson, show a starkly different side of the GOP senator. Following the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, Vance voiced intense criticism of the police.
The Times wrote: “In October 2014, in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Nelson raised the idea of requiring that police officers wear body cameras. “I hate the police,” Mr. Vance said in his response. “Given the number of negative experiences I’ve had in the past few years, I can’t imagine what a Black guy goes through.”
Additionally, the report highlights Vance’s earlier openness to reparations. He had expressed support for compensating victims of historical injustices, such as those affected by redlining and denial of federal benefits, writing to Nelson about the merits of such compensation.
This revelation offers a striking contrast to Vance’s current political stance, as he navigates his role in the GOP and the broader national conversation on police reform and racial justice.
