J.D. Vance says CRT is 'absolutely' an issue in Ohio: 'People are really worried about their kids'
The Ohio Senate candidate blasted AG Garland for 'weaponizing' the DOJ against concerned parents
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance is sounding the alarm that the issue of critical race theory is nationwide and not just affecting Virginia.
Vance, who spoke with Fox News ahead of his speech at the National Conservative conference in Orlando, said the intensity of the education debate being seen the commonwealth is "absolutely" present in his home state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"People are really worried about their kids not getting an education at school but basically being indoctrinated at their country at school," Vance told Fox News on Tuesday. "So I think critical race theory is a very big issue nationwide, certainly in the state of Ohio. It's something that parents talk to me about constantly."
The "Hillbilly Elegy" author sounded off on Attorney General Merrick Garland for doubling down on his memo monitoring alleged threats against school boards nationwide from angry parents, even after the National School Board Association rescinded its letter to the DOJ and issued an apology for suggesting parents who attend school board meetings are "domestic terrorists."
"I think the attorney general basically revealed that he doesn't care about people's free speech rights and he doesn't actually support the parents who are getting out there to make their voices heard," Vance said. "At the end of the day, the entire reasoning behind his letter which basically labeled parents domestic terrorists, was revealed to be a farce. It's based on a set of lies and based on, I think, a very ridiculous letter that was sent to him that he immediately turned into guidance from the sitting attorney general."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And this is crazy- to take basically a union organization, representing teachers and representing administrators and allow that organization to convert its own viewpoint into the attorney general weaponizing. the people's government against parents who want to talk about what's going on at their kids schools. It's just a totally crazy thing," Vance told Fox News.
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP) (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP)
Vance said Garland should have apologized and admitted he "made a mistake" but is choosing to double down on the memo because "he recognizes these parents are a threat to him politically and for a lot of the Democrats in Washington."
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"That's the worst thing [for them], even worse than trampling on people's free speech rights is actually having somebody calling you out on your BS," Vance added.