Conservative CNN Contributor Says JD Vance’s Job is ‘Turd-Polishing Donald Trump’s Rhetoric’ and It Isn’t Getting ‘Easier’

Conservative CNN contributor Jonah Goldberg told network anchor Jake Tapper that former President Donald Trump has given his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) the unenviable job of cleaning up his verbal miscues.

As Goldberg put it, Vance has been tasked with doing damage control for the former president on the campaign trail by “turd-polishing” his statements to make them more palatable.

Goldberg joined a panel on Monday’s The Lead to discuss the fallout of roast comedian Tony Hinchliffe’s divisive joke about Puerto Rico at Sunday’s MAGA rally in New York City.

Tapper then asked Goldberg to weigh in on a Sunday interview the CNN anchor called “contentious” between Vance and himself that aired on State of the Union.

During that interview, Tapper said to the Ohio Republican, “[Trump has] said publicly that he wants to use the military to go after the enemy within, which is the American people.”

Vance replied, “He did not say that, Jake. He said that he was going to send the military after the American people. Show me the quote where he said that.”

Monday, Tapper turned to Goldberg for his take on Trump’s language about “enemies” and Vance being tasked to add nuance to his statements.

Trump has referred to everyone from migrant gang members to Nancy Pelosi as “enemies” within. Goldberg said:

It would be helpful to Donald Trump, and it would make JD Vance’s life easier, given that his primary job is basically turd-polishing Donald Trump’s rhetoric, day in and day out. If Donald Trump just did this crazy thing and used a different term for these groups that are apparently very different in his mind, right? If he’s saying the enemy within are the people we can send troops, that’s one set of problems with that.

[…]

But then to say, I’m also going to use the exact same term for my political opponents and the opposite party, and shame on you for confusing what I mean by this. There’s a lot of words left in the English language to say other than the enemy within about your political opponents he chooses not to do so. And Vance’s studied exasperation with you and with others for being confused on this point is just, it’s gaslighting.

Watch above via CNN.