Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, finally spoke to Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday after letting her call go to voicemail Monday, but he said Harris did not mention a debate in the live call.
"I didn't see that, but obviously we want to debate Vice President Harris, because it's important for the American people to see the contrast," Vance told Newsmax's Rob Schmitt and Greta Van Susteren live on set at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night in Milwaukee.
Harris asked Vance for the Aug. 13 debate on CBS in a voicemail to Vance after his selection as Trump's vice presidential pick Monday, instead of on July 23, which was previously on the table.
Harris had accepted terms for a CBS debate either July 23 or Aug. 13, while former President Donald Trump's campaign had sought a debate on a conservative network that President Joe Biden's camp had said they would not accept.
The July date for a CBS debate is now reportedly off the table.
"By the way, President Trump's, I think, roundhouse kick in the first debate is part of the reason why you have Democrats in total disarray right now," Vance said. "It is really the contrast between Republicans and Democrats.
"Democrats are actively trying to throw their nominee under the bus. This party out here is really united behind President Trump. It's a really good feeling.
"And I think that that momentum is something you can almost reach out and touch. It's so, so powerful. It's so cool."
Vance joked to Schmitt and Van Susteren about having allowed the sitting vice president's call go to voicemail Monday.
"So President Trump offers me this job, OK, and my phone starts blowing up and I get a call," Vance recalled. "It was from actually an unknown number, and it was apparently Vice President Kamala Harris."
Vance did return the call today, but did not see the offer for the August debate.
"We talked today, actually. She was very gracious, very cordial, and I appreciated the call," Vance said. "Obviously, we're going to do everything that we can to persuade the American people to vote for the President Trump-Vice President Vance ticket, but I appreciate the call."
With big moments before him, the 39-year-old Vance admitted he did not even save Harris' voicemail.
"I did not," he said. "I should have saved it."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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