In the months since he became Donald Trump ’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance has repeatedly deflected questions about whether the Republican presidential nominee lost the 2020 election, saying he was focused on the future.
During a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, where Vance was asked by a reporter about his lack of straight answers so far, he was more declarative.
“What message do you think it sends to independent voters when you do not directly answer the question ‘Did Donald Trump lose in 2020?’” the reporter asked, eliciting boos from the crowd before Vance responded, saying he has answered the question ”a million times."
“No. I think there were serious problems in 2020,” Vance said. “So, did Donald Trump lose the election? Not by the words that I would use, OK?”
The answer was the most specific Vance has been on the subject, and a departure from the series of evasions he has offered about the election Trump continues to say without evidence was decided fraudulently in favor of Democrat Joe Biden.
During a debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz this month, Vance was asked about the 2020 election but responded that he was “focused on the future.”
Vance’s refusal to say whether Trump lost was widely considered his weakest debate moment with Walz, the governor of Minnesota, who called the response “a damning non-answer.” The campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris quickly turned the exchange into a television ad.
During an interview with The New York Times, Vance refused five times to acknowledge Biden won.
Trump's continued denial that he lost the election to Biden is a widely held opinion among the Republican's base of supporters. He warned an audience in Nevada last week, “We never want to have happen what happened in 2020.”
Trump has continued to say without evidence that he expects his opponents to “cheat” in the 2024 election and has urged his supporters to turn out in numbers to make his vote tally “too big to rig.”
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Williamsport, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 announced Wednesday that it plans to shut down a Los Angeles-area refinery by the end of 2025, citing market concerns.
The refinery accounts for about 8% of California's refining capacity, according to the state's Energy Commission. The company said it will remain operating in the state.
“With the long-term sustainability of our Los Angeles Refinery uncertain and affected by market dynamics, we are working with leading land development firms to evaluate the future use of our unique and strategically located properties near the Port of Los Angeles,” CEO Mark Lashier said in a statement. “Phillips 66 remains committed to serving California and will continue to take the necessary steps to meet our commercial and customer demands.”
The closure will impact 600 employees and 300 contractors who help operate the refinery, the company said in a news release. The refinery consists of two facilities that were built more than a century ago.
The announcement comes days after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law aimed at preventing gas prices from spiking at the pump. The law authorizes energy regulators to require refineries to maintain a certain level of fuel on hand. The goal is to avoid sudden increases in gas prices when refineries go offline for maintenance.
Phillips 66's decision to close was not related to the new law, the company said. It said it supported the state's efforts to keep certain levels of fuel on hand to meet consumer needs.
The company also operates a refinery near San Francisco that accounts for about 5% of California’s refining capacity, according to the state Energy Commission. Phillips 66 Santa Maria, a refinery that was located about 62 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Santa Barbara, shut down in 2023 after the company announced plans to convert its San Francisco-area site into “one of the world’s largest renewable fuels facilities.”
Newsom has applied pressure on lawmakers to pass oil and gas regulations. He called the state Legislature into a special session in 2022 to pass legislation aimed at cracking down on oil companies for making too much money. The Democrat often touts California's status as a climate leader. The state has passed policies in recent years to phase out the the sale of new fossil fuel-powered lawn mowers, cars, big rigs and trains.
This story has been corrected to show that the Los Angeles-area refinery accounts for about 8% of California’s refining capacity, not that it produces that amount of the state’s crude oil. It has corrected the same error for the San Francisco-area refinery.
FILE - The Phillips 66 refinery is shown, July 16, 2014 in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE - A jogger runs in front of the Phillips 66 refinery, July 16, 2014, in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
