JD Vance defends Trump's call to investigate Biden family: Full interview

ZONE AROUND THE PRESIDENCY WRITING IN EVERY USE OF OFFICIAL POWER THE PRESIDENT IS NOW A KING ABOVE THE LAW. JOINING ME NOW IS SENATOR J.D. VANCE, TOP FINALIST TO BE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S RUNNING MATE. WELCOME BACK TO MEET THE PRESS. >> GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE IMMUNITY RULING AND THE IMPLICATIONS. THIS IS WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID LAST YEAR ABOUT WANTING TO TARGET HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS. TAKE A LISTEN. >> I WILL APPOINT A REAL SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO GO AFTER THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, JOE BIDEN. AND THE ENTIRE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY. >> SENATOR, IF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WERE TO WIN, IF YOU WERE TO BE HIS VICE PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU SUPPORT HIM APPOINTING A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO GO AFTER HIS POLITICAL ENEMIES, THE BIDENS? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, KRISTEN, I FIND IT INTERESTING HOW MUCH THE MEDIA AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVE LOST THEIR MIND OVER THIS PARTICULAR QUOTE. DONALD TRUMP IS TALKING ABOUT APPOINTING A POINTING A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE JOE BIDEN FOR WRONGDOING. JOE BIDEN HAS DONE EXACTLY THAT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND HAS DONE FAR MORE IN ADDITION TO TO ENGAGE IN POLITICAL OPPOSITION. WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS SIMPLY SAYING IS WE OUGHT TO INVESTIGATE THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION. THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF WRONGDOING AND THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF CORRUPT BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CRIMINAL AND YOU HAVE TO INVESTIGATE TO FIND OUT. DONALD TRUMP IS SAYING LET'S DO THE BASIC WORK OF WRONGDOING IS A TOTALLY REASONABLE THING FOR HIM TO DO AND FRANKLY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE FAR WORSE, IF IT ISN'T WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS ALREADY DONE. >> JUST TO BE CLEAR. JOE BIDEN DIDN'T APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DID THAT. TRUMP WAS INDICTED BY GRAND JURIES AND WAS FOUND GUILTY BY A JURY OF HIS PEERS IN NEW YORK. CAN WE GO BACK TO THE CORE QUESTION, WOULD YOU SUPPORT HIM TAKING SUCH AN ACTION? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, YES, YOU WOULD? >> I WOULD SUPPORT INVESTIGATING PRIOR WRONG DOING. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN A SYSTEM OF LAW AND ORDER, BUT JOE BIDEN APPOINTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND, WHO OF COURSE, ANSWERS TO JOE BIDEN, CAN BE FIRED BY JOE BIDEN. SO THE IDEA THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, I THINK, COMPLETELY BETRAYS AN UNDERSTANDING -- MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS AND OF COURSE, KRITEN, WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS POINT, KRISTEN THAT THE PROSECUTION OF DONALD TRUMP IN NEW YORK WHICH NOW HAS FUNDAMENTALLY BEEN THROWN IN DOUBT BY THIS IMMUNITY CASE IT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN GUISE WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHO JUMPED SHIP TO GO AFTER DONALD TRUMP. >> AND YET THE DOJ -- >> THE LEGITIMACY OF THE PROSECUTION. THAT'S A PROBLEM. >> THAT WAS ALL OF THE TIME, PEOPLE ARE APPOINTED FROM WASHINGTON, THE DOJ TOLD CONGRESS -- >> KRISTEN, IT HAPPENS -- ARE YOU REALLY SAYING, KRISTEN, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME THAT THE NUMBER -- >> LET ME JUST FINISH THIS. IT REVIEWED ALL COMMUNICATIONS SINCE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE AND FOUND NO CONTACT BETWEEN FEDERAL PROSECUTORS AND THOSE INVOLVED WITH THAT CASE IN NEW YORK. CAN YOU STICK TO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE QUESTION, THOUGH? LET ME JUST ASK BECAUSE YOU ARE -- I JUST WANT TO STICK WITH THIS LINE OF THEORY THAT YOU ARE LAYING OUT WHICH IS YOU ARE SAYING IT'S NOT OKAY FOR JOE BIDEN TO WEAPONIZE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. IF IT'S NOT OKAY FOR JOE BIDEN TO WEAPONIZE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHICH YOU SAY AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF THAT, WHY IS IT OKAY FOR DONALD TRUMP TO DO THAT? >> KRISTEN, YOU SAID THAT IT HAPPENS ALL OF THE TIME THAT THE NUMBER THREE PERSON IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JUMPED SHIP TO JOIN THE OFFICE TO GO AFTER THE POLITICAL OPPONENT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LEGITIMIZE IT. IF DONALD TRUMP'S ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD HIS NUMBER TWO OR NUMBER THREE JUMP SHIP TO A LOCAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN OHIO OR WISCONSIN AND THAT PERSON WENT AFTER DONALD TRUMP'S POLITICAL OPPOSITION, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. ALL HE'S SUGGESTING IS THAT WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE CREDIBLE ARGUMENTS OF WRONGDOING. THAT'S ALL DONALD TRUMP IS SAYING. THAT IS NOT A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. THAT'S MERELY REINFORCING OUR SYSTEM OF LAW AND GOVERNMENT. >> BOTTOM LINE, YOU ARE OKAY FOR DONALD TRUMP TO APPOINT A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO GO AFTER HIS POLITICAL ENEMIES, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING YES. >> LET ME MOVE ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION. IT'S A CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK IN WASHINGTON. IT SHAPES THE AGENDA THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A TRUMP SECOND TERM. THEY SAID THIS LAST WEEK. >> WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE COUNTRY BACK. NO ONE SHOULD BE DESPAIR ARJED. WE ARE ENCOURAGE BY WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. THE SECOND REVOLUTION WILL REMAIN BLOODLESS IF THE LEFT ALLOWS IT TO BE. >> DO YOU SUPPORT THOSE CALLS FOR A REVOLUTION AND WOULD POLITICAL VIOLENCE EVER BE JUSTIFIED? >>. >> OF COURSE, POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER JUSTIFIED. YOU HAVE TO ASK THE PRESIDENT OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO DEFEND HIS REMARKS. THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION DOES A LOT OF GOOD WORK, AND IS DOES A LOT OF THINGS I DISAGREE WITH AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT I AGREE WITH. IT WORKS WITH PUBLIC POLICY AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF HOW D.C FUNCTIONS AND OPERATES. WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH A WHOLE HOST OF THINK TANKS TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT AS WE CRAFT PUBLIC POLICY. THAT'S THE WAY THE CITY WORKS AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE PERSON WHO SERVE IT IS THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION. I DON'T HAVE ANY AFFILIATION. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DISTANCING YOURSELF FROM THOSE COMMENTS, THAT TALK OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE. >> LOOK, KRISTEN, I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS JUSTIFIED. THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK THAT HE WAS SAYING TO BEGIN WITH, BUT HAVE HIM ON YOUR PROGRAM TO DEFEND WHAT HE SAID, AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO. >> LET ME ASK YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PROJECT 2025 FOR OUR VIEWERS SO THAT THEY KNOW. IT'S BASICALLY A POLICY BLUEPRINT FOR A SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY SUPPORTED BY THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND OTHER CONSERVATIVE GROUPS. THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN HAS SAID PROJECT '25, QUOTE, SHOULD SCARE EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN. IT WOULD GIVE LIMITLESS POWER OVER OUR DAILY LIVES. AMONG THE THINGS THEY ARE CALLING FOR IS REVERSING APPROVAL OF THE ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE, BUT DONALD TRUMP SAID HE SUPPORTS ACCESS TO THAT PILL, ACTUALLY. DO YOU SUPPORT ACCESS TO ABORTION MEDICATION AS DONALD TRUMP DOES? >> WELL, KRISTEN -- YOU ASKED ABOUT PROJECT 2025, AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR HERE THAT TRUMP EXPLICITLY HAS SAID HIS OWN TRANSITION TEAM RUNS THE TRUMP TRANSITION AND WILL RUN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. AGAIN, YOU HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF ORGANIZATIONS SOME OF WHICH HAVE GOOD IDEAS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BAD IDEAS AND SOME WHO HAVE BOTH AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL TALK TO BOTH AS IT'S CRAFTING AN AGENDA TO LOWER INFLATION AND TO BRING PEACE AND PROSPERITY BACK TO THE WORLD AND THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WHY ME AND SO MANY OTHERS ARE TRYING TO RE-ELECT DONALD TRUMP IS BECAUSE THE AGENDA ACTUALLY WORKED. IT WAS HIS AGENDA, AND I THINK IT WILL WORK AGAIN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. ON THE QUESTION OF THE ABORTION PILL. WHAT SO MANY OF US HAVE SAID IS LOOK, WE CERTAINLY -- THE SUPREME COURT MADE A DECISION SAYING THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT MEDICATION. DONALD TRUMP HAS SUPPORTED THAT OPINION. I SUPPORT THAT OPINION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION IN THIS COUNTRY ABOUT WHAT OUR ABORTION POLICY SHOULD BE. DONALD TRUMP IS THE PRAGMATIC LEADER HERE. HE'S SAYING MOST ABORTION POLICIES WILL BE DECIDED BY THE STATES. WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER AND MORE AFFORDABLE FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND PARENTS TO HAVE FAMILIES TO BEGIN WITH. WE WANT TO ELIMINATE HOUSING COSTS AND THE MEDICAL BILLS THAT SO MANY HAVE AFTER HAVING A BABY AND THAT'S THE REPUBLICAN APPROACH TO THIS ISSUE AND MEANWHILE, JOE BIDEN WANTS TAXPAYER FUNDED ABORTION UP TO THE MOMENT OF BIRTH. THAT IS CRAZY TO ME THAT DEMOCRATS FRAME THIS AS REPUBLICANS -- >> LET ME FINISH, KRISTEN. THEY FRAME DEMOCRATS AS BEING REASONABLE AND PRAGMATIC WHEN IN REALITY REPUBLICANS ARE THE ONES TRYING TO FIND COMMON GROUND HERE. >> AS YOU KNOW ABORTIONS, VERY FEW ABORTIONS TAKE PLACE LATER IN PREGNANCY ALMOST ALWAYS BECAUSE THERE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. I KNOW TRUMP IS TRYING TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM PROJECT 2025, BUT WE HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH IT ARE FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS, BEN CARSON, PETER NAVARRO, RUSS VAUGHT AND OTHERS, BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU SUPPORT MIFEPRISTONE BEING ACCESSIBLE? >> YES, KRISTEN, I DO, BUT ON THE PROJECT 2025 ISSUE WHAT THE MEDIA AND DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO DO IS ATTACH THE MOST UNPOPULAR ELEMENTS TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. IT'S A 900-PAGE DOCUMENT. I GUARANTEE THERE ARE THINGS TRUMP LIKES AND DISLIKES ABOUT THE 900-PAGE DOCUMENT, BUT HE IS THE PERSON THAT WILL DETERMINE THE AGENDA TO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION. ALL HE SAID VERY EXPLICITLY IS I AM IN CHARGE OF THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE I'M THE PERSON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION. >> LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WROTE IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" OP ED ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. YOU CRITICIZED HIS POLICIES, BUT ALSO SAID, QUOTE, IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT FAILURES OF RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS TOO OFTEN UNIBLE TO DISCONNECT LEGITIMATE POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS FROM THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF IS AN ADMIRABLE MAN. BARACK OBAMA GAVE ME HOPE THAT A BOY WHO GREW UP LIKE ME COULD STILL ACHIEVE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF MY DREAMS. FOR THAT, YOU WRITE, I WILL MISS HIM AND THE EXAMPLE HE SET. YOU WROTE THAT JUST DAYS BEFORE DONALD TRUMP WAS IN INAUGURATED. DO YOU STILL CONSIDER BARACK OBAMA TO BE AN ADMIRABLE MAN WHO YOU MISS? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN A BROKEN FAMILY, KRISTEN. I JUST WANTED TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND AND DAD AND CERTAINLY BARACK OBAMA DESPITE MY MANY POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM, HE'S CLEARLY A GOOD HUSBAND AND A FATHER. I'D SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP WHOSE CHILDREN LOVE HIM AND THIS IS THE THING THE MEDIA OFTEN MISSES ABOUT DONALD TRUMP IS HOW DEVOTED HE IS TO HIS CHILDREN AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND HIS PRO-LIFE VIEW IS WE OUGHT TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MORE AMERICAN FAMILIES TO HAVE THOSE THRIVING CHILDREN AND THRIVING FAMILIES. SO CERTAINLY, I THINK WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH GOOD EXAMPLES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY AND YES, ABSOLUTELY WAS BARACK OBAMA A GOOD PRESIDENT? NO. WAS HE A GOOD HUSBAND AND FATHER? YES. >> HE'S STILL AN ADMIRABLE MAN? >> THAT'S JUST WHAT I SAID, KRISTEN. >> ALL RIGHT. I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT VEEP STAKES. HAVE YOU GOTTEN THE CALL FROM DONALD TRUMP? HAS HE ASKED YOU TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE? >> I'VE NOT GOTTEN THE CALL, KRISTEN AND I'LL CERTAINLY MAYBE NOT THE FIRST PERSON THAT I'D LET KNOW IF THAT HAPPENED, BUT WE'LL LET THE MEDIA KNOW IF I EVER GET THAT CALL, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, KRISTEN. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO WORK TO ELECT DONALD TRUMP AND WHOEVER THE VICE PRESIDENT IS, IT'S THE LEADERSHIP STYLE THAT WORKS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND I'M FIGHTING TO DO THAT. >> HERE WE ARE, A WEEK BEFORE THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION. CAN YOU SAY HERE AND NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE 2024 ELECTION NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE? >> SO LONG AS IT'S A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION, KRISTEN, OF COURSE, WE WILL. WE WILL USE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESSES TO CHALLENGE ISSUES IF WE THINK THERE ARE ISSUES, BUT IF IT'S A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION WE WILL DO WHAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES AND WE WILL ACCEPT THE RESULTS AND I EXPECT THE RESULTS TO REELECT DONALD TRUMP. >> IT WAS A PRE AND FAIR ELECTION IN 2020 AND HE TOOK HIS CONCERNS TO COURT AND HE LOST IN COURT AND HE HAS NOT CONCEDED. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU REFUSE TO CONCEDE, THAT FEEDS INTO PEOPLE'S CONCERNS AND SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE NATION'S ELECTORAL PROCESS? >> WELL, KRISTEN, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, ACTUALLY. I THINK THAT FEEDING INTO PEOPLE'S CONCERNS ABOUT ELECTORAL PROCESS IS ONE HALF OF AMERICA'S POLITICAL SEGMENT WON'T SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO ALLOW ILLEGAL ALIENS TO VOTE AND YOU HAVE TO PRESENT I.D. FOR ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY. TO TAKE CONCERNS SERIOUSLY ABOUT ELECTION FRAUD -- >> SENATOR IT'S ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW FOR NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE, BUT JUST ON THAT VERY POINT, WHEN YOU, WHEN OTHERS REFUSE TO SAY, YES, WE WILL ACCEPT THE ELECTION RESULTS DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THAT UNDERMINES PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM? >> KRISTEN, WHAT I JUST SAID IS I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. WHAT I THINK UNDERMINES PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM IS WHEN THE MEDIA IS INCURIOUS ABOUT OBVIOUS EXAMPLES OF PROGRESS ABOUT THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. I THINK THEY'VE GOTTEN GREAT ELECTIONS AND THINGS COULD BE BETTER IN CERTAIN STATES. I WANT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SO PEOPLE HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ELECTIONS AND THAT'S WHAT I WI