"You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who is trying to save your country," Vance said.
The willingness of Vance to openly address a past grievance in public drew ire from politicians on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Atlantic. But the confrontation drew plenty of praise from the party's base who has grown weary of GOP politicians playing nice.
Matt Boyle, the Washington bureau chief for the conservative outlet Breitbart News said, "Vance is clearly the far, runaway front-runner, and no one else can hold a candle to him right now. He's also been very smart about developing strong relationships with a lot of the MAGA 'America First' [originals] and with Congress in passing President Trump's agenda and confirming the president's Cabinet."