Ouch.
Bad Veep
In 2016, it was the Russians and Hillary Clinton. Eight years later, and it’s former president Donald Trump’s campaign, admitting to being hacked by Iranian operatives, after Politico received several classified documents from within Trump’s operation.
Among the wealth of materials is a 271-page dossier extensively outlining Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “vulnerabilities.”
In other words, it’s a massive document that details why Trump thinks Vance is a terrible pick for vice president. It reportedly includes publicly available information, such as news reports and interviews — and considering the current news cycle, Trump arguably should’ve had a closer look at it.
A similar document about Marco Rubio’s “vulnerabilities” was also passed around. Trump once considered Rubio as his running mate before settling on JD Vance.
Two people familiar with the document confirmed its authenticity to the Washington Post, as well as the fact that it was commissioned by a law firm representing several Trump advisers.
The incident highlights some glaring cybersecurity issues plaguing the former president’s campaign. It’s far from the first time Trump has been targeted. In 2020, Trump’s Twitter account was hacked, not by a state-sponsored operative but by an infiltrator, who simply guessed his mind-bogglingly terrible password: “maga2020!”
Terrible Pick
In a statement to NBC News, Trump’s campaign condemned the latest hack.
“The Iranians know that President Trump will stop their reign of terror just like he did in his first four years in the White House,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “Any media or news outlet reprinting documents or internal communications are doing the bidding of America’s enemies and doing exactly what they want.”
But do we even need to publish an existing list of why Vance makes for a terrible vice president? Given the latest polls, Vance is proving particularly unpopular, even when considering that vice president picks have historically had little influence on the final outcome of a US presidential election.
And it doesn’t take much research to figure out his so-called “vulnerabilities.” He’s inexperienced, has supported a nationwide abortion ban, has a bizarre hatred for women who aren’t mothers — and has even been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, calling the octogenarian “America’s Hitler” and a “cynical asshole.” And that’s just the tip of the racist iceberg.
In short, while we’re still 84 days away from Election Day, Vance has already proven to be an incredibly daft pick, at least per his polling numbers. A “vulnerabilities” document likely won’t add much to the discussion — the evidence is already stacked against him with or without it — but it does suggest the Trump campaign being caught flat-footed in more than a few ways.
More on JD Vance: Trump’s Millennial VP Pick Left a Facebook Pic Up of Himself Passed Out Drunk in College
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