Military Service and Political Identity

JD Vance has been careful not to claim he served in a combat role while deployed to Iraq as a Marine. But after a Harris campaign ad claimed Vance would be "loyal to Trump, not to our country," Vance responded to the vice president directly in an attack evoking racist trope about Black women.

"I served in the United States Marine Corps and I built a business," Vance said. "What the hell have you done other than to collect the government check for the past 20 years?"

This episode: national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Stephen Fowler and veterans correspondent Quil Lawrence.

The podcast is produced by Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our intern is Bria Suggs. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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