In a bizarre display of political theatrics, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance made an ill-fated attempt to confront Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday by marching up to Air Force 2, Harris’ plane. The stunt quickly unraveled when Vance discovered that Harris was not onboard.
“I just wanted to check out my future plane,” Vance told reporters on the tarmac in Wisconsin, after his high-profile move fizzled out. The senator’s attempt to create a dramatic confrontation fell flat as Harris was absent, leaving Vance’s bold show of bravado without a target.
Vance claimed he aimed to question Harris about her alleged refusal to answer questions. However, his choice of issue seemed disconnected from current events, as Harris has been actively calling on Donald Trump to attend a debate scheduled for September 10—a debate Trump had already agreed to when running against President Joe Biden.
Earlier in the week, Vance expressed a desire to debate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, suggesting his theatrical antics might be part of a broader strategy for visibility.
About 40 minutes after his fruitless attempt to confront an absent Harris, the Harris campaign released a video that seemed to poke fun at Vance’s antics. The video, set to a popular TikTok audio, featured a voiceover saying, “Now I want to sit back and relax and enjoy my evening, when all of the sudden I hear this agitating, grating voice,” as it panned from Harris and Walz in front of their plane to the Trump-Vance plane taking off.
Despite the odd spectacle, Vance and Harris continue to crisscross the country with their respective campaign stops this week, with Vance seemingly trailing Harris in a rather peculiar manner.
