Sen. JD Vance came under fire last week after The Associated Press (AP) published a headline that suggested he had dismissed school shootings as a “fact of life.”

The headline, which initially lacked important context, ignited a backlash from Vance’s supporters, with his spokesperson accusing the AP of distorting his words, which eventually prompted the news organization to revise its headline and story on the matter, as Fox News reports.

The controversy began when Vance spoke at a rally in Phoenix, addressing the recent mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia.

During his speech, Vance emphasized the need for stronger security in schools, acknowledging the unfortunate reality that schools are often targeted by violent individuals. He stated, “I don’t like that this is a fact of life. But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets.”

Vance’s Spokesperson Calls Out AP

The AP’s initial headline, published Thursday, read, “JD Vance says school shootings are a ‘fact of life,’ calls for better security,” which drew swift condemnation from Vance’s camp. William Martin, Vance’s spokesperson, called the reporting dishonest and politically motivated, accusing the AP of intentionally omitting key parts of Vance’s statement.

“This is yet another case of the fake news media brazenly lying about a Republican politician,” Martin said. “Senator Vance said exactly the opposite of what the Associated Press claimed.”

Martin also criticized the AP for undermining its credibility, saying the news organization had lost the trust of the public. He linked the incident to what he described as a broader pattern of bias against Republicans, alleging the AP was trying to support Democratic political agendas.

Community Notes Exposes Misleading Headline

The AP’s original post on X (formerly known as Twitter) was met with further scrutiny when users pointed out the missing context. A Community Note was added to the post, clarifying that Vance had said, “I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” before discussing the issue of school safety. This prompted the AP to delete the tweet and update both the headline and its post.

The corrected headline, now reading, “JD Vance says he laments that school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and calls for better security,” acknowledged that Vance did not casually dismiss the issue of school shootings but rather expressed regret about the ongoing crisis while calling for heightened security measures.

AP Acknowledges Mistake

In response to the outcry, an AP spokesperson admitted that the original headline and tweet lacked necessary context and that a correction was needed. “This story’s headline and tweet lacked important context. We have deleted -- and replaced -- the tweet and updated the headline accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

Despite the correction, the incident sparked a political firestorm. Vance’s remarks were seized upon by political opponents, including Vice President Kamala Harris and the Harris-Walz campaign, who argued that Vance and former President Donald Trump were unwilling to take meaningful action to prevent school shootings.

Harris Criticizes Vance’s Comments

Following the initial AP report, Vice President Kamala Harris voiced her disagreement with Vance’s remarks as they were reported by the AP. She posted on X, writing, “School shootings are not just a fact of life. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can take action to protect our children—and we will.”

Her comments underscored her belief that more should be done to address gun violence in schools, and she emphasized the potential for new policies aimed at reducing school shootings. This contrasted with Vance’s focus on bolstering security measures.

Vance Fires Back at Harris

Vance did not remain silent in the face of Harris’s criticism. He quickly responded, accusing the vice president of spreading “lies about what I said.” Vance argued that his comments were not an acceptance of school shootings as inevitable, but rather an acknowledgment of the current risks and the need for stronger protections in schools.

The Harris-Walz campaign also weighed in on the controversy and capitalized on the AP's error. Ammar Moussa, a campaign spokesperson, reiterated Harris’s position, stating that school shootings should not be tolerated as a normal occurrence. “Donald Trump and JD Vance think school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and ‘we have to get over it,’” Moussa said.

The controversy surrounding JD Vance’s remarks on school shootings highlights the broader political debate over gun control and school safety.

While Vance’s comments were initially misrepresented by the Associated Press, the subsequent correction did little to quell the political fallout. Vance’s call for increased school security has clashed with Democratic proposals for stricter gun regulations, with Vice President Kamala Harris leading the charge for more preventative measures.

The incident underscores the challenges of addressing school shootings in an increasingly polarized political environment.