J.D. Vance, the Trump-backed Republican nominee to replace retiring GOP Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, is facing fierce backlash over a report that he made comments urging women to stay in "violent" marriages, which he has denied.
Vance lashed out at people who "shift spouses like they change their underwear" during a talk at Pacifica Christian High School in Newport Beach, California, last September, according to an article published on Monday by Vice News. The Ohio Republican and Hillbilly Elegy author said that "one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace" was convincing people in "unhappy" or "even violent" marriages that getting divorced would "make people happier in the long term," according to Vice.
"Maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though I'm skeptical. But it really didn't work out for the kids of those marriages," Vance said, according to Vice. "And that's what I think all of us should be honest about, is we've run this experiment in real time. And what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that's making our kids unhappy."
Vance responded to questions on whether he believed "it would be better for children if their parents stayed in violent marriages than if they divorced" and whether he was in favor of strengthening laws to make divorce more difficult with the following statement to Vice:
"I reject the premise of your bogus question. As anyone who studies these issues knows: domestic violence has skyrocketed in recent years, and is much higher among non-married couples. That's the 'trick' I reference: that domestic violence would somehow go down if progressives got what they want, when in fact modern society's war on families has made our domestic violence situation much worse. Any fair person would recognize I was criticizing the progressive frame on this issue, not embracing it."
"But I can see that you are not a fair person, so rather than answer your loaded and baseless question, let me offer the following: I'm an actual victim of domestic violence. In my life, I have seen siblings, wives, daughters, and myself abused by men. It's disgusting for you to argue that I was defending those men."
A Vance spokesperson directed Newsweek to the candidate's statement to Vice when asked for comment. A spokesperson later told Vice that Vance does not support changing marriage laws regarding divorce.
www.newsweek.com
Vance lashed out at people who "shift spouses like they change their underwear" during a talk at Pacifica Christian High School in Newport Beach, California, last September, according to an article published on Monday by Vice News. The Ohio Republican and Hillbilly Elegy author said that "one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace" was convincing people in "unhappy" or "even violent" marriages that getting divorced would "make people happier in the long term," according to Vice.
"Maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though I'm skeptical. But it really didn't work out for the kids of those marriages," Vance said, according to Vice. "And that's what I think all of us should be honest about, is we've run this experiment in real time. And what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that's making our kids unhappy."
Vance responded to questions on whether he believed "it would be better for children if their parents stayed in violent marriages than if they divorced" and whether he was in favor of strengthening laws to make divorce more difficult with the following statement to Vice:
"I reject the premise of your bogus question. As anyone who studies these issues knows: domestic violence has skyrocketed in recent years, and is much higher among non-married couples. That's the 'trick' I reference: that domestic violence would somehow go down if progressives got what they want, when in fact modern society's war on families has made our domestic violence situation much worse. Any fair person would recognize I was criticizing the progressive frame on this issue, not embracing it."
"But I can see that you are not a fair person, so rather than answer your loaded and baseless question, let me offer the following: I'm an actual victim of domestic violence. In my life, I have seen siblings, wives, daughters, and myself abused by men. It's disgusting for you to argue that I was defending those men."
A Vance spokesperson directed Newsweek to the candidate's statement to Vice when asked for comment. A spokesperson later told Vice that Vance does not support changing marriage laws regarding divorce.
J.D. Vance Slammed for Suggesting Women Stay in Violent Marriages
Vance's Democratic Ohio Senate opponent Tim Ryan said that the 'Hillbilly Elegy' author's stance was "not just wrong" but "unbelievably dangerous."
www.newsweek.com
