A year before he became one of two Democrats left standing in the race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas went on a conservative radio show and mocked the last two Democratic presidents.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer (AM 560) program, Vallas rolled his eyes at former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they spoke about their new library in Hyde Park and laughed about them living in Martha’s Vineyard. Vallas, in a separate appearance a few months later, questioned whether President Joe Biden actually was the one running the White House.
The comments came during a lull in Vallas’ political life, two years after losing the 2019 mayoral race and before he geared up for another bid. But they now could affect his future as he looks to run the nation’s third-largest city, where Obama remains a revered figure. And Biden’s potential endorsement in the race, along with other big-name Democrats, could end up tipping the balance.
Vallas is known for off-hand remarks. While doing the radio show, he described Democratic Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth as rubber-stamp votes for Biden, according to the Facebook Live video archives reviewed by POLITICO.
Vallas’ appearance on Morning Answer was not unusual. He has regularly aligned himself with conservative-leaning outlets and organizations, and his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police helped shore up his crime-fighting bona fides. Vallas also spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a far-right organization that trafficks in transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
Video of Vallas’ talk-radio installments are surfacing as he is locked in a tight April 4 runoff against fellow Democrat Brandon Johnson, who is trying to paint Vallas as too conservative on a long list of issues. Johnson has gone after Vallas for comments he made opposing abortion, his support for cutting corporate taxes, and associating with far-right groups. In a debate on Wednesday, Johnson repeatedly mentioned comments Vallas made more than a decade ago that he identified more as a Republican than a Democrat.
Vallas has countered by pointing to his lifelong Democratic voting registration and his past support from Democratic-aligned officials and groups. His latest TV ad features former President Bill Clinton recognizing Vallas’ work in Chicago Public Schools during the 1999 State of the Union address.
Hanging over the race is Biden. The president is considering whether to support Chicago’s bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024 — an event both candidates for mayor have said they want to return to their city.
On the Morning Answer program, Vallas was a regular substitute for co-host Dan Proft, a conservative political activist who lives in Florida but is a former Illinois resident. Proft ran a political action committee that spent more than $14.5 million last year trying to elect Trump-allied Republican Darren Bailey against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The shows commonly featured discussions about public safety and Vallas' concerns about crime — a hallmark of his mayoral campaign. But national politics frequently came up, too.
In one episode, Vallas spoke with conservative economist Stephen Moore. The two discussed Biden’s vetting process of nominees and whether he was aware of happenings in his own administration. “Not a lot,” Vallas said, agreeing with Moore.
In an earlier appearance on the radio show, in September 2021, Vallas visibly rolled his eyes as the hosts listened to a promotional video for the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side narrated by Michelle and Barack Obama. While the Obama video rolled, Vallas whispered over a hot mic that the library complex is actually in Hyde Park — and that “Hyde Park’s not the South Side.”
The Hyde Park neighborhood, which is home to the Obamas, is the site for the Obama Presidential Center.
“Hyde Park was probably one area of the city that didn’t need a half-billion dollar investment,” Vallas said later in the show. As the program played audio of Barack Obama saying his family is working with people who care about Chicago as much as they do, Vallas is heard whispering: “that’s why they’re living in Martha’s Vineyard.”
“They are partying in Martha’s Vineyard with no masks,” he added later, a reference to pictures that had previously surfaced from the former president’s 60th birthday party where guests were seen dancing and maskless.
Obama and Biden weren’t the only Democrats to come in for criticism. When Moore claimed that Durbin and Duckworth were in lockstep with Biden, Vallas again agreed.
“Always, always ‘yes’ votes,” he said.
Vallas’ campaign dismissed the comments as simply entertaining banter. “Paul is a policy wonk, not a talk-radio host, and any commentary referenced as critical was made in jest, as often occurs on morning talk shows. Paul looks forward to working with all Democratic leaders of our state to make Chicago a safer city for families and businesses to thrive once again,” the campaign said in a statement to POLITICO.
"Paul Vallas is a lifelong Democrat, who has deep respect for his party's current and former leaders and has worked alongside many of them over the years in advancing the values of the Democratic party,” the statement continued.
The White House declined to comment, as did a representative for Obama.
Vallas’ media appearances have been campaign fodder for opponents before. Other clips appeared in the first round of the mayor’s race and were featured in TV ads by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. And the episodes from Morning Answer were quickly turned into fodder by Johnson’s team.
“Paul Vallas is a Republican because Democrats don’t go on conservative talk radio shows and insult Joe Biden, Barack and Michelle Obama, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth,” Johnson spokesperson Bill Neidhardt said in response to an inquiry from POLITICO.
