Trump quickly labeled Walz “grossly incompetent,” but his winding response created confusion. While discussing the debate performance, Trump said he had watched “J.D. destroy him,” then added: “I was saying, who is more incompetent? That man or my man?”
Because JD Vance was present at the time, the phrasing made it sound as though Trump was grouping his own vice president into the criticism. He continued with similarly unclear remarks, saying both candidates were “incompetent,” before shifting to comments about female candidates and Democratic leadership—further muddying the message.
The clip sparked confusion online. One viewer asked, “Why is he cooking JD Vance?” while another joked, “JD catching strays is wild.”
Despite the apparent slip, Trump was not actually criticizing Vance, according to fact-checking outlet Snopes. After reviewing the incident, Snopes reported that the White House clarified Trump was referring to his debate opponent—former president Joe Biden—when he said “my man,” not his vice president.
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