Why J.D. Vance’s efforts to blame staff for 'bizarre' bakery visit fall flat: analysis

Having drawn so much scathing criticism since being chosen as Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been trying to soften his image by visiting small businesses on the campaign trail — including a bakery in Georgia.

But the visit did not go well. When Vance, accompanied by U.S. Secret Service agents, entered the business, one of the employees said she did not want to be on camera.

Vance later told NBC News, "I just felt terrible for that woman. We walked in, and there's 20 Secret Service agents. And there's 15 cameras, and she clearly had not been properly warned, and she was terrified, right? I just felt awful for her."

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In a New York Magazine/Intelligencer article Wednesday, journalist Margaret Hartmann examines Vance's efforts to blame his staff for the "incredibly awkward" visit.

"On the one hand, sure, Vance's team is partly at fault," Hartmann argues. "They brought him to an empty shop where he could not mingle with fellow patrons, apparently didn't tell the staff they were coming, and didn't coach their candidate on what to order. On the other hand, it's not staffers' fault that every line that came out of Vance's mouth was bizarre and uncomfortable."

Vance, according to Hartmann, "behaved like he'd never ordered a donut in his life" when he asked an employee for "some sprinkle stuff, some of these cinnamon rolls — just whatever makes sense."

Vance, Hartmann notes, also asked employees how long they had worked in the business and replied, "OK, good," with "no follow-up."

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"Vance did manage to express empathy for another human with his comments to NBC about the bakery worker," Hartmann writes.

"Now, someone just needs to explain to him that people typically don't like it when leaders blame their mistakes on underlings. And it's a particularly dumb move when those staffers are all that stand between you and another embarrassing viral video."

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