Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, had some fun at CNN reporter Alayna Treene’s expense during a rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He mocked Treene for fact-checking a joke he made about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, spoke to the crowd about the upcoming Democratic National Convention. He jokingly suggested that the convention was being held in Chicago so Walz could “accurately say that he visited a combat zone,” referencing Walz’s controversial claims about his military service. The crowd responded with cheers.
Vance’s joke stemmed from a 2018 video where Walz claimed he “carried weapons in war.” A CNN correspondent had fact-checked the video, stating there was “no evidence” Walz carried weapons in combat.
After the rally, Treene fact-checked Vance’s joke, pointing out that Chicago was chosen as the convention site over a year ago. “Vance in WI says his ‘little theory’ about why Democrats chose Chicago is ‘so that [Walz] could actually, accurately say that he visited a combat zone.’ Democrats selected Chicago in April 2023 — long before Biden even considered dropping out,” Treene tweeted.
Vance’s response was a simple “lmao.”
Others on social media joined in on mocking Treene. Sean Davis of The Federalist remarked, “The journos are so dumb and broken they’re now fact-checking obvious jokes.”
Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, also chimed in, saying, “They’re fact-checking jokes now.”
Comedian Tim Young added, “When you fact-check a joke… it makes your entire ‘journalism’ career the joke.”
Wall Street Journal film critic Kyle Smith quipped, “All jokes must be fact-checked!”
The next day, Vance made another jab at Walz during a rally in North Carolina. Referring to Walz’s “stolen valor,” Vance joked that Walz might next claim he “survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.”