January 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Multiple BBC presenters covered the day with no reference to the Jews and subsequently apologized for the — what’s the word? — omission. It wasn’t an oversight.
When John posted the item about the BBC’s observance of the occasion, I thought I can top that! Below is the statement posted on Vice President Vance’s X account.
Today we remember the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust, the millions of stories of individual bravery and heroism, and one of the enduring lessons of one of the darkest chapters in human history: that while humans create beautiful things and are full of compassion,… pic.twitter.com/2UwFcy4Kmp
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 27, 2026
In one sense, it’s a thoughtful statement. Whoever composed it thought long and hard about how to omit any mention of Jews or Nazis in observance of the day. Even the BBC cited the Nazis. The Nazis targeted the Jews for total annihilation and they devoted themselves to the project with insane intensity and attention to detail. See, e.g., Lucy Dawidowicz, The War Against the Jews, or Saul Friedländer, The Years of Extermination.
On the right and the left Nazis’ animus has found a new object with Israel. Vance’s friend Tucker Carlson is the leading carrier of it on the right.
Did Tucker Carlson approve of Vance’s statement? He must not have disapproved.
Vance’s performance is worse than the BBC’s because, although it is comparable to it, Vance ain’t apologizing. He gave that statement a lot of thought and he’s sticking with it.
Compare and contrast it with the Presidential Message posted by the White House. Here is one pointed paragraph:
The systematic murder of Jewish people across Nazi-occupied Europe remains an indelible blight on mankind. In remembrance of all who perished during the Holocaust and in honor of all those who survived and rebuilt their lives from the ashes, we renew our pledge that such evil will never again attain a stronghold in the West. After I took office as the 47th President of the United States, I proudly made it this administration’s priority directing the Federal Government to use all appropriate legal tools to combat the scourge of anti-Semitism. My Administration will remain a steadfast and unequivocal champion for Jewish Americans and the God-given right of every American to practice their faith freely, openly, and without fear.
Thank you, Mr. President. We’re not there yet. To borrow a Trumpian phrase, that much I can tell you.
Reasonable minds can differ, but I don’t think Vance’s approach is even good politics. Vance is thinking about 2028. He thinks this is how we win! I think Vanz kant danz.
