Florida Republican congressman Randy Fine has attacked JD Vance’s explanation for the party’s heavy midterm defeat, comparing it to the sort of rhetoric heard in “1932 Germany” and declaring that the vice-president should abandon any hopes of becoming the Republican presidential nominee.
Fine, speaking to LiveNOW from Fox, accused Vance of blaming Jewish voters and Israel after Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 3 November elections.
“He blamed the Jews for losing the election. I mean, it’s crazy,” Fine said. “We lost the election for a lot of reasons but it wasn’t because of the only other country in the world who’s willing to stand up to Muslim terror like we are.”
Randy Fine attacks JD Vance over midterm defeat
Fine described Vance’s assessment as “the biggest bunch of gibberish” he had ever read, adding that it “smacked of the kind of thing you would read in 1932 Germany”.
Vance had argued that Republican voters who backed Donald Trump and Mr Vance in 2024 had turned against the party because of the war with Iran, rising living costs, concerns that America was not being prioritised and the country’s relationship with Israel.
The vice-president has sought to distance himself from the war since the election, while Mr Trump has continued to defend the military campaign. The issue has also raised questions about Mr Vance’s political future, after he said he would decide following the midterms whether to seek the White House in 2028.
Fine, who is Jewish, said Vance was “out” as far as he was concerned as a potential presidential candidate.
“Hard stop. Absolute. He’s got to go,” he said.
The Florida congressman said he would instead consider supporting candidates including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also among those frequently discussed as a possible Republican contender, although no major candidate has formally launched a 2028 campaign.
Fine retained his seat in the midterms and said he had increased his margin of victory. He attributed the result to constituents believing that he understood their concerns, while blaming Republican senators and other party figures for failing to demonstrate how their policies would improve voters’ lives.
“My constituents realised I cared about them, I cared about their problems and I cared about what was happening to the country,” he said.
Vance’s office was approached for a response to Fine’s remarks.
