TOLEDO, Ohio — Vice President JD Vance implored residents in his home state of Ohio to continue putting their trust in the Trump administration’s ability to lower the price of everyday goods, which he branded “the great American comeback,” ahead of the November midterm elections.
Speaking at the Midwest Terminals shipping facility in northwest Ohio, Vance touted several achievements of Trump’s second term, as affordability has become a chief concern for Americans still reeling from rising prices. He also sought to contrast the current White House against the administration of former President Joe Biden, whom he blamed for bad policy.
“We are one year into raising wages for workers instead of declining wages for workers. We’re one year in to $18 trillion of new investment for the United States of America, instead of investment going to every other country but the United States of America,” Vance boasted on Thursday. “We’re one year in to getting illegal aliens out of our country so that American homes can go to American citizens, which is exactly where they ought to go.”
After last year saw Democrats capitalize on affordability as a winning issue in several off-year races, Republicans have pushed the Trump administration to focus on how the White House can lower costs and inflation to help the GOP retain control of both chambers of Congress.
Both Trump and Vance began traveling to battleground states to give speeches on affordability beginning last year. The two leaders are expected to continue traveling across the nation as the midterm elections coverage heats up.
Vance said Americans cannot hand control back to Democrats later this year, citing the failures of the Biden administration to lower inflation.
“Do we want to go back to the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration? No, we don’t. So let’s keep doubling down on American prosperity,” he said. “Let’s keep doubling down on the American worker. And let’s tell (Rep.) Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and the rest of the crazy congressional Democrats that we are not going back. We are going forward.”
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Before speaking to the crowd, Vance was greeted by business owner Alex Johnson and his son Drew Johnson, who operate their business with 40 employees. The move was meant to demonstrate the administration’s pro-business slant.
Vance said the United States is “on the cusp of the greatest economic year in the history of the United States of America because we’re doing something new for a change.”
“We’re investing in you. We’re investing in American workers, we’re investing in American businesses,” he said. “We’re saying to everybody that the United States is open for business, but ONLY if you invest in our great American people and our great American businesses!”
Vance’s comments electrified the crowd, which chanted “JD! JD!” after he finished his speech.
However, Vance also cautioned the public to give the administration more time to work on lowering prices.
“We know there is still so much work to do, and this is something I want you to hear,” he said. “The Democrats talk a lot about the affordability crisis in the United States of America, and yes, there is an affordability crisis, one created by Joe Biden’s policies. You don’t turn the Titanic around overnight. It takes time to fix what was broken.”
There were very few protesters as the vice president’s motorcade headed to Midwest Terminals. Several onlookers waved as the motorcade passed, but a small group held Palestinian flags.
Vance is also scheduled to travel to Minneapolis later on Thursday, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have clashed with protesters over an illegal immigration crackdown. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday that FBI officers arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen for their alleged roles in an attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Now I’m headed from here to Minneapolis, where we’re going to talk with some of our ICE agents, talk with local officials about how we can turn down the chaos,” Vance said. “And my simple piece of advice to them is going to be, look, if you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country, it’s not that hard.”
He also said one of his goals “is to calm the tensions,” while also explicitly expressing support for ICE officers after suggesting that Democrats allowed “left-wing crazies to drive the agenda.”
“Well, I promise them, every single police officer in this country and every single federal law enforcement officer in this country, we have your back,” Vance said. “And that’s one of the messages I’m trying to send by going to Minneapolis and talking to our ICE officers there.”
The vice president implored those who disagree with ICE to vote, write op-eds, or express their disagreement on social media.
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“Don’t go to the streets and start assaulting federal law enforcement officers because you disagree with the policies of our administration. It’s cowardly bulls***, and it’s got to stop,” he said to applause.
“Excuse my language to all the kids there,” he joked. “I’m sorry. A little fired up. I was raised by a woman who cussed a lot, so sometimes I do too.”
National Democrats, however, slammed Vance’s visit as a “desperate attempt to lie to Ohioans” about the Trump administration’s record.
“Thanks to Vance and House Republicans, Ohioans are losing their health care, facing layoffs, and paying higher prices from the grocery store to their electric and water bills,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Riya Vashi in a statement. “But Vance won’t be able to deceive Northwest Ohioans, who know that Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur has always put working people first, not billionaires — and they are excited to re-elect her again this year to keep fighting for them.”
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