JD Vance explains his viral visit to the donut shop to NBC: “I felt terribly sorry for her”

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Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance discussed his viral moment with staff at a Georgia bakery in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday.

While campaigning in Georgia, Vance visited Holt's Sweet Shop and many people online mocked the “uncomfortable” treatment of the staff, especially when one employee asked not to be filmed.

“I just felt terrible for the woman,” Vance told NBC in an article published Wednesday, referring to the bakery worker. “We went in and there were 20 Secret Service agents and 15 cameras. She obviously hadn't been properly warned and was terrified, right? I just felt terrible for her.”

Vance said his visits were not “planned events,” an apparent jab at Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' recent visit to a Sheetz store in Pennsylvania. But he said he had told his team that future visits would need to be planned more carefully.

“I like to get out there and talk to people. And we want to make sure we do that. But we definitely have to make sure that people at least don't have a problem being on camera. Otherwise we come in and have a person who is basically having a panic attack because there are 15 cameras shining in their face,” he said.

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Vance orders doughnuts ‘whatever makes sense’ in viral video

In the viral clip published by C-SPAN on August 22, Vance thanks the woman behind the bakery counter for allowing him to visit. Shortly thereafter, she tells him, “I don't want to be filmed.”

Vance then turns to his entourage and says, “She doesn't want to be filmed, guys, so just cut her out of everything.”

After looking at the donut display, he says, “I'm JD Vance, I'm running for Vice President, nice to see you.”

“OK,” is her only answer.

Vance then asks the employees at the store how long they have worked there and how long the store has been open.

When choosing the doughnuts, he suggested several flavors, saying, “Whatever makes sense.” The clip was widely shared on X, with users calling it “embarrassing.”

Harris is ahead in polls, Georgia is the most important swing state

Georgia is an important swing state and Harris will be appearing there for the first time since the party convention.

After Donald Trump had a lead of more than 5 percentage points in Georgia in 2016, he lost the state in 2020 by less than 12,000 votes, or a lead of 0.2 percent.

Harris is comfortably ahead of Donald Trump, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll released Thursday. Harris leads Trump 48% to 43%, an eight-point turnaround from the presidential race in late June, when Trump was ahead of President Joe Biden.

Featuring: Francesca Chambers, Susan Page, Savannah Kuchar, Sudiksha Kochi

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