Chaos in Ohio GOP Senate Debate: Gibbons, Mandel in Heated Altercation as Vance Berates Them for Conduct Unbecoming

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 18: Mike Gibbons (L) and Josh Mandel exchange heated arguments at the
Andrew Spear/Getty Images
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton

At Ohio’s Republican Senate debate on Friday evening, chaos broke out when candidates Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel got into a heated altercation, as J.D. Vance berated the two for conduct unbecoming.

Gibbons and Mandel got into a heated face-to-face altercation after Mandel accused Gibbons of making millions of dollars off of Chinese petroleum stock.

“You filed that with the federal elections committee, you own stock in Chinese petro,” Mandel told Gibbons.

“I personally didn’t buy the stock,” Gibbons replied. “You made millions off of it sir,” Mandel said.

“I don’t think I’ve made millions off of anything,” Gibbons said. “I’d love to have made millions off of Chinese petro.”

The altercation increased in intensity after Gibbons claimed that Mandel had never worked in the private sector. “You may not understand this because you’ve never been— You’ve never been in the private sector in your entire life,” Gibbons told Mandel.

“I understand fully,” Mandel said as he stood up to get into Gibbons’s face. “I’ve worked. Two tours in Iraq, don’t tell me I haven’t worked,” Mandel said in reference to his military service.

“You don’t know squat. You don’t know squat,” Gibbon replied.

“Two tours in Iraq, don’t tell me I haven’t worked,” Mandel said again. Then, as Mandel was in Gibbons’s face, Gibbons said, “back off, buddy.”

“You back off,” Mandel responded. Mandel later said, “You’re dealing with the wrong guy.” Mandel can be heard calling Gibbons a “pussy,” as the altercation ended and the two candidates returned to their seats.

“This is not an episode of Jerry Springer,” Politico’s Natalie Allison tweeted. “It’s tonight’s Ohio Republican Senate debate.”

After the altercation, Gibbons’s campaign issued a statement calling Mandel “unhinged, unfit, and flailing.”

Gibbons spokesperson Samantha Cotten said in a statement provided to Breitbart News:

Josh Mandel is unhinged, unfit, and flailing – because he’s losing. He is only a professional at one thing: running for office. He is hellbent on lying because he is failing. He doesn’t have the temperament, experience, or fortitude to be a U.S. Senator, and Ohio voters got a first hand look at just how unprepared Josh Mandel has become and that will be reflected on the ballot on May 3.

All the while, JD Vance remained calm and kept his cool while making his policy pitch to Ohio voters. Immediately after the altercation, Vance, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War, called out Mandel’s “disgraceful” emphasis on his military service during the altercation with Gibbons.

Vance said:

Before I answer that question, I just gotta comment on what we just saw. Look, as the only other person who served his country in uniform, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. My ma-maw had six grandchildren. Three of them enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. I think the way you use the U.S. Marine Corps, Josh, is disgraceful.

Think about what we just saw. This guy wants to be a U.S. senator, he’s up here, ‘Hold me back, hold me back, I got two tours in the Marine Corps.’ What a joke. Answer the question. Stop playing around.

During the debate, Vance also talked about transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who came in first place in the women’s swimming NCAA championship.

“Here’s a basic truth: men are men and women are women,” Vance said.

“It’s not fair to any girl to be forced to compete against biological males. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get biological males out of girls’ sports,” Vance added.

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