In the fierce argument between Ryan and the Republican challenger for Ohio's vacant senate seat, Ryan was challenged and asked to clarify his remarks earlier in the year when Ryan stated on MSNBC's Morning Joe that the “exhausted majority” needed to “kill and confront” the radical Republican movement.
And now, Ryan, during the debate — and doubling down on his comments, included Vance among that group that he describes as “extremists.”
“Kill and fight the extremist group of which J.D. Vance is, unfortunately, part of,” Ryan claimed.
Ryan, in an attempt to discredit Vance for his comments in the past, added “Who claims President Obama of the United States is intentionally trying to kill people by using Fentanyl? Who claims that the election was rigged?”
“Who is running around along with Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida who is seeking for books to be banned? He's running around with Lindsey Graham, who wants the nation to ban abortion. You're running around with Marjorie Taylor Greene, who's the most unpopular political figure in America,” Ryan said in an attempt to identify legislators Vance has spoken to, with, or praised during his campaign.
“This is a dangerous group, and we do need to confront it, and that's why I'm running to represent the ‘exhausted majority': Democrats, Republicans, and independents, against the extreme,” Ryan concluded.
Vance at the time of the question was also confronted by Ryan regarding his previous comments and said, “Tim Ryan, who runs all these tv commercials saying that he wants to appeal to Trump voters, wants to appeal to Republicans, also says that he wants to ‘kill and confront' … the MAGA movement.”
“That's not exactly the rhetoric of a unifier,” Vance said.
