Vance steers clear of Max Miller controversy — for now

Vance’s lack of response, regardless of reporters shouting questions at him related to Miller, was underscored by Moreno being seated five seats away from him in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

A former Trump administration official dismissed Vance’s reaction, contending Moreno only made his first public comments on Sunday after his daughter asked for his silence amid the couple’s court proceedings.

“Why wade into something that Bernie hasn’t wanted to talk about and is extremely painful unless you have to?” the official told the Washington Examiner.

Ohio attorney and GOP political commentator Mehek Cooke praised Vance for not commenting on Miller and instead amplifying President Donald Trump’s message.

“Individual candidate issues should not distract from the broader mission of delivering results for the American people and that’s exactly what Max Miller is doing,” Cooke told the Washington Examiner. “Ohio has many strong Republican leaders who can advance President Trump’s agenda and the focus should remain on protecting taxpayers, strengthening the economy, and keeping the House majority.”

Other Ohio Republicans told the Washington Examiner they would prefer not to comment on Vance, Miller, or Moreno, citing their own relationships with each of the men.

Vance, who could comment on Miller during an appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle Wednesday night, was an early endorser of Moreno’s 2024 Senate campaign in the hope of avoiding a politically problematic Republican primary between Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Vance’s support came two years after Moreno suspended his 2022 Senate campaign following a meeting with Trump, with Moreno agreeing with the president that there were too many “Trump candidates” in the race. Months later, Trump endorsed Vance, his eventual vice president.

“Them being close is well documented,” a source familiar told the Washington Examiner of Vance and Moreno.

Trump told the Washington Examiner earlier in the week that the allegations against Miller were “a very sad thing,” adding he had “always thought he was a very good person.”

“I’m going to let the families figure that out,” the president said in the Oval Office. “Those families, I know they’re working on it.”

Before Trump answered the Washington Examiner’s question, the president spoke with Miller on the phone and expressed his reservations about the congressman’s chances of success in November.

To that end, Miller requested a House Ethics Committee investigation into himself on Tuesday, as his attorney took responsibility for failing to properly redact the sensitive material involving Miller’s daughter from the documents the congressman disclosed last weekend.

A spokesman for LaRose, Ohio’s secretary of state, also told the Washington Examiner earlier this week that the deadline to replace Miller on the ballot is Aug. 10.

“The county party chairs in the district would choose a replacement candidate,” the spokesman said. “Additionally, the most populous county party is required to give 2 days notice for that meeting.”

TRUMP HAS SOURED ON JEANINE PIRRO, BUT SHE CAN STILL SAVE HER JOB

On Sunday, Bernie Moreno wrote on X that, “If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them.”

“Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible,” the senator said. “He should not serve in the House of Representatives.”