Vance asked about affordability, responds with joke about senator’s a** - The Independent

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Vice President JD Vance is facing backlash after responding to a young voter's question about housing affordability with an off-topic joke about Ohio Senator Jon Husted's rear.

The exchange unfolded Thursday during a Fox News town hall at Texas Christian University, where student Kate White, vice president of the school's Turning Point USA chapter, pressed Vance on how young Americans could afford to start a life amid soaring housing costs.

“How does the right and yourself expect us to start families young when you know the average price of a home in America now costs more than $415,000, which just feels out of reach for us,” White asked.

Vance thanked White for the question before diverting to Husted, the Republican senator from Ohio who previously held Vance's Senate seat.

“I want to point out that I think that I've been asked four or maybe five questions by my count, I've only been asked one question about Jon Husted's a** and it was by Jesse Watters,” Vance said about the Fox News host, who moderated the town hall.

Watters laughed at Vance’s response and said it was what people were talking about.

"Maybe you should run for Senate on the Democratic side here in Texas, Jesse,” Vance said.

After the joke, Vance acknowledged that Republicans had not done enough to address the financial pressures facing younger Americans.

“Most Republicans don't… I think that I'm an exception,” he said, adding that he believed President Donald Trump was focused on restoring the American dream and making homeownership more attainable.

Vance attributed rising housing costs partly to undocumented immigration under previous administrations and home purchases by Wall Street firms and foreign investors. He also claimed Texas home listing prices had fallen 2.5 percent, following a 100 percent increase under former President Joe Biden.

He then finally answered White’s question.

“My personal advice is one guy talking to a person who's been in similar shoes is it's never the right time, so go ahead and do it, because you're never going to regret getting married and having kids,” Vance told the student.

Watters agreed with Vance's advice, adding his own perspective: "And sometimes, you know, when you're in love, you just get pregnant, and you figure it out. That's not a great political answer, but it usually works well."

Vance’s off-topic quip about Husted's derriere comes amid a series of comments Trump has made about Husted's physique while campaigning for the Ohio senator, who is seeking election to a full Senate term on November 3.

Trump first made headlines with the remarks during an October 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, when he recalled examining Husted's body after learning the senator had been an All-American football player at the University of Dayton.

“I looked at his a**,” Trump told the crowd, before describing his legs, shoulders and hands.

Trump later repeated the comments at several campaign appearances, even suggesting his remarks had helped improve Husted's standing in the polls.

Like Trump, Vance is now facing backlash over the odd talking point.

Krystal Ball, a political commentator and podcast host, called it a “tone-deaf moment,” while former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly said the remark was “disgusting, but not surprising.”

The official X account for California Governor Gavin Newsom Press Office simply reacted to the clip with three question marks, while former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews wrote: “I genuinely cannot believe this is a real exchange between a voter and the Vice President of the United States.”