A brief video going round social media makes it look as if U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, aiming to look extra like a canine particular person, admitted to renting his German shepherd. However the video was deceptively edited; Vance didn’t say that.
An 11-second clip exhibits Vance sitting with ex-Fox Information host Tucker Carlson when Vance’s canine, Atlas, joins the interview.
The video exhibits Vance telling Carlson, “He’s truly a rent-a-dog that was given to me by the marketing campaign to make me appear to be I’m a canine fan.”
Carlson, laughing, replies, “How bizarre. You’re bizarre.”
We discovered related posts that Vance was renting his canine on TikTok, Threads and X, the place an anti-Donald Trump account’s put up earned a neighborhood word.
The complete video from Vance’s Sept. 18 interview with Carlson exhibits Vance was discussing rumors folks had unfold on-line about his canine. Vance stated his household has had Atlas since he was a pet.
Vance: “Atlas, come right here. Atlas, come. What’s up, buddy? So, that is Atlas, which I discovered on the web a couple of weeks in the past that he is truly a rent-a-dog that was given to me by the marketing campaign to make me appear to be I am a canine fan.”
Carlson: “How bizarre. You’re bizarre.”
Vance: “It is truly hysterical to listen to these lefties be like, ‘Oh, that canine, that is completely not his canine.’ After all, we bought him when he was an 8-week-old pet, and we love canine, and he is been our little man. However he is, like, so well-trained and so regular. It is like, stunning, to me that anyone would suppose that he isn’t our pet. However right here we’re.”
Carlson: “He is on the highway with you.”
Vance: “He is on the highway with us, sure. We’ve our entire household up right here.”
A Vance spokesman confirmed that the Vances bought Atlas when he was 8 weeks outdated, in January 2024 — earlier than Vance turned the vice presidential nominee.
Atlas boarded the Trump marketing campaign’s aircraft Aug. 16 with Vance and his spouse, Usha in Milwaukee. A New York Publish story sparked by the canine’s look stated Atlas turns 1 on Election Day, Nov. 5. The Vance household’s different canine, Pippin, died earlier this yr, the Publish reported.
Politicians have featured canine that weren’t theirs in political advertisements to assist drum up voter help.
Different occasions, politicians have been falsely accused of faking their canine possession. False on-line claims focused Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and his canine Scout.
Vance didn’t name his canine a “rent-a-dog.” That video clip was manipulated. We charge the declare False.
