Court records show Acton’s stepfather was charged with raping her at 12. Now the Catholic vice president is scolding the Republicans who refuse to defend an ad starring the mother who stood by him.
Ten years ago, Hillary Clinton famously used the term "basket of deplorables" to describe Trump's hardcore base: the racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. But ten years ago, she didn't know the half of it, and like the rest of us, she probably had never even heard of JD Vance. By now she knows, as we all do, that the word "deplorable" doesn't work to describe Ramaswamy and Vance and the rest of them: not so much deplorable as despicable.
We continue to hear opinions from Vance that, at best, misinterpret Catholic teaching and, at worst, are just the opposite of that teaching. When do we get to the conclusion that he converted for political purposes at best or was very poorly taught the basics of the religion.
I do not know who might be the VP's spiritual advisor, but I do hope they have a long conversation about a person's responsibility in the public sphere.
Vance's response is a lesson that has continued in the history of Christianity, whether Protestant or Catholic. The lesson is that when the words of power/Empire are allowed to prevail over the words and directives of Christ to care for the little ones, then the gospel is drowned by the greed and power of human flesh and hatred. Jesus made it very clear that one of the more deadly sins was the sin against his children and preventing them from coming to him. Let the little children come to me (Mt 19:14) and Mt. 18:6-7 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!"
Jesus cared about children and he still cares. One of the wonderful things that Pope Leo is currently doing is redressing the errors of the past of the Catholic Church that failed to look at the actions of neglect and abuse. Thank you Pope Leo XIV for leading your bishops around the world to understand that this is the way of Christ. His voice speaks not only to the Catholic Church but to the Christian Church worldwide that we are called to follow Christ and not the words of power. Nor should the church be guilty of re-traumatizing victims of abuse by calling them liars. May the many victims of abuse be healed by the love of Christ and may those like Vance who support the oppressors be silenced and seen as they are, not true representatives of the Christian faith.
Thank you for covering this "latest outrage". with such factual completeness.
I cannot help but wonder how much they paid this woman to say this to a camera recording her.
Thank goodness Amy Acton's brother has immediately stepped forward and publicly validated everything that Dr. Acton has said about their childhood and what was done to her.
Is JD Vance really a Catholic? I just don’t see it. 🙏🏼 for Amy Akin and her brother. I also pray that she wins.
Mr. Hale, I’m having a birthday soon. My son asked me what I want. I said a subscription of your Substack. What is the best way for him to pay the subscription for me? Any advice? Thanks for your reply. 🙏🏼
Can we get an excommunication already? This yob tried to lecture the Jesuit Pope on the theology of St Augustine of Hippo. For crying out loud, no true Catholic will get into a theological discussion with a Jesuit. As is well known, final vows in the Jesuits is a reward for a career well spent. The 30 day retreat is the midlife crisis of a Jesuit. The Jesuit curse is “May all your children become Franciscans.” If Opus Dei hasn’t learned from SMOM’s experience, and taken a warning from being made a personal prelature of the Pope, Pope Bob might as well suppress Peter Thiel, JD Vance, Tim Busch, Austen Ruse, and the NAPA Institute and stop them before any more embarassing scandal is caused to the Church.
A daily record of democratic backsliding in the U.S.
Olga Lautman
Oct 21
READ IN APP
Monitors seen at the back of the empty White House briefing room.
The White House press corps has worked from the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House since the Nixon administration. Credit...Andrew Leyden for The New York Times
Share
Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
Trump expanding his crackdown on voters and immigrants, using pardons to benefit wealthy allies, and withholding critical military assistance from Ukraine are among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
Trump pardons a billionaire after his family made a $50 million deal with Alina Habba.
The Justice Department targets voters weeks before the midterms.
The Pentagon blocks Patriot interceptors for Ukraine as SpaceX’s Starshield is throttled.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
If Democrats Win Congress, Could the G.O.P. Refuse to Seat Them?
What Happened: Democratic lawmakers are preparing for the possibility that Trump and congressional Republicans could refuse to seat certified Democratic winners in January, preventing Democrats from taking control of the House. A Republican and a Democratic lawmaker are asking colleagues to pledge to honor certified election results.
Why It Matters: The thought of Republicans refusing to seat elected Democrats would have been unthinkable in America. Now many are worried about another attempt to overturn election results, just like Trump’s violent attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Source: New York Times
Corruption
The Secret Terms of Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal
What Happened: A secret 18-page agreement gives Venezuelan oligarch Alejandro Betancourt a key role in a major oil deal despite past money laundering investigations, while the U.S. government will hold a 35% stake through a Barbados-based company with anonymous investors. The deal protects Betancourt’s position, locks in a governing board for 15 years, and does not guarantee the $200 billion in payments promised by the White House to Venezuela.
Why It Matters: Trump is giving a corrupt oligarch control of a major oil deal, allowing investors to hide their identities, and making it harder for future presidents to unwind the deal.
Source: ProPublica
A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.
What Happened: Trump granted Venezuelan billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini a full pardon weeks after his family hired Trump’s former personal lawyer and Justice Department adviser Alina Habba in a $50 million deal. Herrera’s daughter also donated $3.5 million to a Trump-linked super PAC.
Why It Matters: A billionaire’s family gave Trump’s former lawyer a $50 million contract and donated millions to his political campaign before Trump pardoned him. Congress needs to investigate this and all the other pardons to determine how many have been sold.
Source: New York Times
Secret pay-for-play text rocks Trump White House
What Happened: A text message reportedly sent by Trump adviser Ric Grenell offered Turkish billionaire Turhan Mildon access to Trump, senior officials, and VIP events in exchange for a multimillion-dollar Kennedy Center donation.
I mean, it’s what they do, right? They protect pedophiles.
It’s unbelievable how tone deaf Vance is. His judgement is awful.
Yes, they really have become a party of and for pedophiles.
Ten years ago, Hillary Clinton famously used the term "basket of deplorables" to describe Trump's hardcore base: the racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. But ten years ago, she didn't know the half of it, and like the rest of us, she probably had never even heard of JD Vance. By now she knows, as we all do, that the word "deplorable" doesn't work to describe Ramaswamy and Vance and the rest of them: not so much deplorable as despicable.
He is an embarrassment to the Catholic Church! He claims he’s a Christian! He is neither a Christian or a Catholic!! He is a heretic!!
There is no limit to their depravity. No line that they will not cross.
I don’t think Vance sees anything wrong here. As John stated perfectly, “it’s what they do, right?”
Sadly, yes.
We continue to hear opinions from Vance that, at best, misinterpret Catholic teaching and, at worst, are just the opposite of that teaching. When do we get to the conclusion that he converted for political purposes at best or was very poorly taught the basics of the religion.
I do not know who might be the VP's spiritual advisor, but I do hope they have a long conversation about a person's responsibility in the public sphere.
Vance's response is a lesson that has continued in the history of Christianity, whether Protestant or Catholic. The lesson is that when the words of power/Empire are allowed to prevail over the words and directives of Christ to care for the little ones, then the gospel is drowned by the greed and power of human flesh and hatred. Jesus made it very clear that one of the more deadly sins was the sin against his children and preventing them from coming to him. Let the little children come to me (Mt 19:14) and Mt. 18:6-7 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!"
Jesus cared about children and he still cares. One of the wonderful things that Pope Leo is currently doing is redressing the errors of the past of the Catholic Church that failed to look at the actions of neglect and abuse. Thank you Pope Leo XIV for leading your bishops around the world to understand that this is the way of Christ. His voice speaks not only to the Catholic Church but to the Christian Church worldwide that we are called to follow Christ and not the words of power. Nor should the church be guilty of re-traumatizing victims of abuse by calling them liars. May the many victims of abuse be healed by the love of Christ and may those like Vance who support the oppressors be silenced and seen as they are, not true representatives of the Christian faith.
Thank you for covering this "latest outrage". with such factual completeness.
I cannot help but wonder how much they paid this woman to say this to a camera recording her.
Thank goodness Amy Acton's brother has immediately stepped forward and publicly validated everything that Dr. Acton has said about their childhood and what was done to her.
Yes, the article is good. I just read a news story about it at the WSJ.
There were over a thousand comments, the overwhelming majority criticizing Vance.
Well said, Mr. Hale. You can’t claim to be a true Christian and support vile political statements and ads like those against Dr. Acton. Despicable.
JD Vance is a bigoted , sick & twisted flimflam man…
She was 9 when he started raping her
Is JD Vance really a Catholic? I just don’t see it. 🙏🏼 for Amy Akin and her brother. I also pray that she wins.
Mr. Hale, I’m having a birthday soon. My son asked me what I want. I said a subscription of your Substack. What is the best way for him to pay the subscription for me? Any advice? Thanks for your reply. 🙏🏼
Can we get an excommunication already? This yob tried to lecture the Jesuit Pope on the theology of St Augustine of Hippo. For crying out loud, no true Catholic will get into a theological discussion with a Jesuit. As is well known, final vows in the Jesuits is a reward for a career well spent. The 30 day retreat is the midlife crisis of a Jesuit. The Jesuit curse is “May all your children become Franciscans.” If Opus Dei hasn’t learned from SMOM’s experience, and taken a warning from being made a personal prelature of the Pope, Pope Bob might as well suppress Peter Thiel, JD Vance, Tim Busch, Austen Ruse, and the NAPA Institute and stop them before any more embarassing scandal is caused to the Church.
Despicable!
How much corruption is enough ?
Trump Tyranny Tracker | Day 635: Oct. 20, 2026
A daily record of democratic backsliding in the U.S.
Olga Lautman
Oct 21
READ IN APP
Monitors seen at the back of the empty White House briefing room.
The White House press corps has worked from the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House since the Nixon administration. Credit...Andrew Leyden for The New York Times
Share
Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
Trump expanding his crackdown on voters and immigrants, using pardons to benefit wealthy allies, and withholding critical military assistance from Ukraine are among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
Trump pardons a billionaire after his family made a $50 million deal with Alina Habba.
The Justice Department targets voters weeks before the midterms.
The Pentagon blocks Patriot interceptors for Ukraine as SpaceX’s Starshield is throttled.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
If Democrats Win Congress, Could the G.O.P. Refuse to Seat Them?
What Happened: Democratic lawmakers are preparing for the possibility that Trump and congressional Republicans could refuse to seat certified Democratic winners in January, preventing Democrats from taking control of the House. A Republican and a Democratic lawmaker are asking colleagues to pledge to honor certified election results.
Why It Matters: The thought of Republicans refusing to seat elected Democrats would have been unthinkable in America. Now many are worried about another attempt to overturn election results, just like Trump’s violent attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Source: New York Times
Corruption
The Secret Terms of Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal
What Happened: A secret 18-page agreement gives Venezuelan oligarch Alejandro Betancourt a key role in a major oil deal despite past money laundering investigations, while the U.S. government will hold a 35% stake through a Barbados-based company with anonymous investors. The deal protects Betancourt’s position, locks in a governing board for 15 years, and does not guarantee the $200 billion in payments promised by the White House to Venezuela.
Why It Matters: Trump is giving a corrupt oligarch control of a major oil deal, allowing investors to hide their identities, and making it harder for future presidents to unwind the deal.
Source: ProPublica
A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.
What Happened: Trump granted Venezuelan billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini a full pardon weeks after his family hired Trump’s former personal lawyer and Justice Department adviser Alina Habba in a $50 million deal. Herrera’s daughter also donated $3.5 million to a Trump-linked super PAC.
Why It Matters: A billionaire’s family gave Trump’s former lawyer a $50 million contract and donated millions to his political campaign before Trump pardoned him. Congress needs to investigate this and all the other pardons to determine how many have been sold.
Source: New York Times
Secret pay-for-play text rocks Trump White House
What Happened: A text message reportedly sent by Trump adviser Ric Grenell offered Turkish billionaire Turhan Mildon access to Trump, senior officials, and VIP events in exchange for a multimillion-dollar Kennedy Center donation.
Source: Axios