Vice President JD Vance fired back Friday at MAGA influencer Laura Loomer after she criticized his decision to speak at the March for Life earlier in the day in Washington, D.C., sparking a public clash within conservative circles.
Loomer took aim at Vance on X, questioning why Republicans would emphasize abortion messaging in a midterm election year. She argued the GOP had already learned in past elections that focusing on abortion could backfire politically, warning that doing so again would cost Republicans control of Congress.
“Why is the GOP pushing more abortion messaging in a midterm election year? Didn’t they learn their lesson in 2018?” Loomer wrote. She added that President Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled he does not want Republicans centering their campaigns on abortion and claimed that continuing to do so would lead to disaster in the midterms.
Vance responded directly, defending both his speech and his decision to accept the invitation. He said the president himself encouraged his participation.
“The president literally sent a video to the March for Life today and encouraged me to accept their invitation, which I was happy to do,” Vance wrote. He then turned his criticism toward what he described as constant attacks from some on the right.
“It’s interesting that some ‘conservative influencers’ spend all of their time attacking the administration and sowing division,” Vance said. “Disgraceful actually.”
Loomer quickly escalated the exchange, posting twice more and broadening her critique. She suggested the dispute was not truly about abortion but about internal power struggles within the administration and Republican Party. Loomer accused Vance of associating with individuals who have made offensive remarks about his family and Trump, and argued that party leadership was losing focus.
“We can pretend this is about abortion if that is what makes people feel better about who their friends are,” Loomer wrote, adding that she believed misplaced priorities would ultimately cost Republicans the midterms and open the door for Democrats to target Trump politically.
“This isn’t about abortion,” Loomer continued in a second post. “It’s about @marcorubio. We all know.” She warned that losing focus would result in Democrats regaining power and moving to impeach Trump, saying she would continue to support the president while calling out what she views as the true source of division.
Despite the online backlash, Vance’s speech at the March for Life was largely well received by those in attendance. In his remarks, Vance spoke forcefully about the value of human life, at times taking on a somber and graphic historical tone.
He recounted reading about ancient archaeological discoveries, noting that one indicator of pagan-era brothels was the presence of large numbers of infant skeletons nearby. Vance said many of those remains were boys, whom he said were discarded as useless by those exploiting the brothels.
Vance argued that such practices shock modern audiences because Western society was shaped by Christian values, even among those who are not religious. He said that in ancient pagan cultures, abandoning or discarding children was common and unremarkable.
Drawing broader parallels, Vance referenced historical examples of infanticide and child sacrifice, arguing that the defining feature of barbarism is treating babies as inconveniences rather than blessings.
He contrasted that with what he described as the moral inheritance of Western civilization, rooted in the belief that every human life has inherent value.
“As Scripture tells us,” Vance said, “each life is fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator.”
The exchange with Loomer highlighted ongoing tensions within the conservative movement as Republicans debate strategy, messaging, and priorities heading into the midterm elections.
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