Fact Check: Did Trump call JD Vance ‘incompetent’ in White House cabinet meeting?

WASHINGTON, DC: During a White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, December 2, President Donald Trump ripped into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, describing him as a "grossly incompetent man" while reminiscing about the 2024 vice presidential debate.

Some observers interpreted the remarks as referring to Vice President JD Vance, while others brushed them off as simply mocking the 2024 Democratic ticket. But what was Trump actually talking about? Let's find out.

Origin of the claim

The discussion arose when Trump addressed a question about whether Walz should resign amid allegations of fraud in Minnesota's social services system involving its Somali community. In a segment captured on Fox News and shared widely on X, Trump responded by referencing the October 2024 debate between Vance and Walz.

“I think the man’s a grossly incompetent man," the president said. "I thought that from the day I watched JD destroy him in a debate. I was saying, ‘Who was more incompetent? That man or my man?’ I had a man, and he had a man—they were both incompetent... I had a man and a woman, I thought she was very incompetent too. But now she’s leading the field and I think she’s leading the field in the nomination.”

Social media reactions were divided, with some users insisting that Trump had compared Walz and Vance unfavorably. Lefties claimed Trump equated Walz ("that man") with Vance ("my man") as equally incompetent, while Vance sat there in the room.

"I was not looking forward to this afternoon until this cherry popped up! Trump trashing VANCE to a room full of 'conservative' outlets LAUGHING when he calls JD 'incompetent' multiple times! Obviously Trump is losing it worse than Biden ever did and now Vance is a moron," one wrote.

Fact Check: Misconstrued

Trump's statement appears to have been directed at former President Joe Biden rather than Vance. He was recalling his June 2024 debate with Biden, followed by praise for Vance's performance against Walz.

Trump pointed to the Democratic nominees (Biden and, later, Kamala Harris paired with Walz) as those who are incompetent, contrasting them with his own ticket.

The phrase "my man" aligns with Trump's past descriptions of Biden as incompetent. Supporters on X clarified his remarks. "He is saying that both he and JD demolished incompetent men (Biden who Trump debated and Walz who Vance debated). Now the only debate is which one was more incompetent, Biden or Walz," one wrote.

"When Trump said ‘my man,’ he wasn’t talking about JD Vance. He was talking about the man he faced in the debate... This is another case of cutting one line out of a longer answer to create a headline that never actually happened," another added.

Trump's recent statements support this. He recently called  Walz "seriously ret***ed" and has previously slammed him as a "terrible governor." On the other hand, he has only had praises for his deputy Vance, lauding him for "doing a fantastic job." 

How other websites are carrying the claim

Despite what Trump meant, several news outlets have reported on the comments in ways that suggest he indirectly criticized Vance. 

Raw Story described the moment as Trump letting "slip" his "true feelings" for Vance with a "wild dig," insisting that he appeared to "glower" at his vice president while equating Walz and Vance as incompetent and even citing concerns about Trump's alertness during the meeting. 

The New Republic portrayed the remarks as an "incoherent rant" where Trump "accidentally" admitted to viewing his "number two" as incompetent. Accounts from Occupy Democrats on X labeled it "Dementia Don's drooling new low" and declared the "my man" reference was about Vance.

Mainstream publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post included the exchange in their coverage, painting the apparent swipe at Vance as a confusing aside that was part of Trump's overall criticism of immigration and fraud issues in Minnesota. However, they did not deem it a deliberate insult.