JOSHUA L. JONES/USA TODAY NETWORK.
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has had some rocky moments since becoming former President Donald Trump's running mate.
But he has cleared the cheesesteak hurdle.
The GOP vice presidential candidate swung by Pat's King of Steaks yesterday and navigated a potential campaign trail landmine. The Inquirer reports Vance ordered a whiz wit, cracked a joke and did not stay long.
"He asked about why we don't have Swiss cheese," Pat's manager Sammy Garcia told the newspaper.
"We thought that was funny."
And likely telling. Former Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry infamously asked for swiss on his steak when he visited Pat's in 2003. The faux pas did not prevent him from eventually securing the Democratic nomination, but it fed into the perception he was out of touch with the average American. So Vance likely got coached up before he ordered.
Vance made an appearance in North Philadelphia before the cheesesteak run, defending Trump's stance on abortion and hitting Vice President Kamala Harris on her economic record. Vance also continued his criticism of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's military record and said he plans to visit Pennsylvania frequently in the run-up to Election Day.
