A controversy erupted on Thursday when the Associated Press (AP) misquoted vice presidential candidate JD Vance on the issue of school shootings, sparking widespread backlash.
At a rally in Phoenix, Vance expressed his concern about the prevalence of school shootings, stating that he does not like the reality that they have become a “fact of life.” However, he emphasized the need for better security measures to prevent such tragedies.
Vance’s comments were in response to a question about what can be done to stop school shootings. He argued that schools are vulnerable to attacks and that bolstering security is essential to prevent harm to children.
“We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in,” Vance said. “We’ve got to deal with it. If you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools.”
Despite Vance’s clear call for improved security, the AP initially reported that he simply referred to school shootings as a “fact of life,” without providing context. The misleading headline sparked outrage, with many accusing the AP of distorting Vance’s words.
After facing intense criticism, the AP revised its headline and reporting to reflect Vance’s actual comments, stating that he “laments that school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and calls for better security.”
Vance’s spokesperson, William Martin, condemned the AP’s initial report as an example of “fake news” and accused the media outlet of lying about Republicans. He argued that the AP’s mistake was part of a larger pattern of biased reporting that aims to support Democrats and undermine Republicans.
Martin also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’s proposal to remove police officers from schools, arguing that it would put children at risk and demonstrate her “weak, failed, and dangerously liberal agenda.”
