CNN anchor forced to walk back JD Vance military criticism

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar appears to be walking back her swipe against Trump running mate Sen. JD Vance, insisting he "served honorably" after facing backlash for suggesting he embellished his military service.

"Because we have, as you introduced him, as a combat correspondent, which is what [Vance's] title was," Keilar told her CNN colleague Dana Bash Thursday. "But when you dig a little deeper into that, he was a public affairs specialist, someone who did not see combat, which certainly the title ‘combat correspondent,' kind of gives you a different impression. So he may be the imperfect messenger on that."

Keilar apologized: "JD Vance served honorably in Iraq, a combat zone where anything can happen and frequently does. As he said in his book, he was, quote, ‘lucky to escape any real fighting.’ That doesn't make his service less than. ‘Lucky,’ he says. And luck is often what makes the difference in a combat zone or even a training mission. That today is not your day."