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JD Vance criticized for 'horrific' reply to military widower at CBS town hall

politicsOct 18, 2026262,648

Vice President JD Vance appeared at a CBS News town hall in Michigan hosted by Tony Dokoupil, where he addressed the economy, immigration, the Iran war and whether he might run for president in 2028. Vance told Dokoupil he "hasn't decided" on a 2028 run and called himself "a procrastinator" when discussing big life decisions; he also said "we're turning the ship around" on the economy while acknowledging recovery will take time. On Iran, Vance told reporters in a separate remark that in "some ways" the United States has "decisively won" its war against Iran. After the broadcast, social media posts and outlets such as Raw Story circulated claims that Vance gave a "horrific" reply to a military widower during the town hall and urged that moment as disqualifying. The CBS News town hall article and transcript do not describe or report any exchange with a military widower or a "horrific" reply; the program coverage instead focuses on audience questions about gas prices, cost of living, immigration and Vance's political plans. The discrepancy means the specific allegation about a widower exchange is present in online commentary and some outlets but is not documented in the CBS report of the town hall.

Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com

Here's a supercut of JD Vance having a hard time answering questions about the sluggish economy, Trump's corruption, why the US hasn't already won the Iran war, and more during the CBS town hall that aired tonight

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