MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Sen. J.D. Vance spoke at a local high school on Monday for the first time since becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee, and the response was tremendous.
“This is what you were born to do,” one attendee shouted as Vance began his speech after the standing ovation ended.
“I graduated from here 21 years ago. Many of you know my family story. Heck, half of you probably know my family story,” Vance began with a wink, creating the atmosphere of a victory celebration rather than the start of a campaign rally.
“My life has been tough, but I have been surrounded by loving people and with the things that you lose if you don’t fight for them – opportunity,” Vance declared to cheers from the packed auditorium.
Economic opportunity was a central theme in both the speech and the broader platform that Vance said he wants to build with presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“This country has made a lot of poor decisions recently,” Vance said. “We’ve allowed China to build its middle class on ours… But we’re going to fight.”
“Fight!” may have been the most commonly uttered word during Vance’s speech, both on and off the stage, with frequent echoes of the phrase shouted by Trump, who survived an assassination attempt, heard from members of the crowd.
Vance promised that he and Trump would fight for every worker and parent in the country.
“If you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to make a nice dinner and send your kids on the vacation of their choice,” he declared to the first applause of the afternoon.
“I love this,” Vance said with a smile from the podium.
The senator also mentioned the maverick who recently left this place and the race, President Biden.
“I don’t like Biden or his policies, and I’m not a Democratic primary voter, but what’s going on right now is an absolute disgrace,” Vance said, his smile falling.
“If you want to run for president, you have to make your case to the voters. That’s exactly what Trump did – he ran and made his case. But the idea that we should choose the next candidate just because Obama and George Soros decided to boot Biden out in a smoke-filled room is wrong.”
Vance has called on Biden to resign as president or for Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove him from office.
Monday’s event was standing-room only and lines formed all morning, with some attendees arriving as early as 7 a.m. for the 1:30 p.m. speeches.
Across the road, a smaller group of protesters were seen, some holding signs that read “Defend Roe,” “Never Let This Happen Again” and “Vote to Win This Election.”
Security was extremely tight, with at least three SecretSservice agents stationed inside and outside the venue, as well as local police with rifles and armoured vehicles.
Attendees said they were thrilled that local politicians have reached this status.
Will, an Army veteran, joked that he would still vote for Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, and said he expects to hear Vance talk about improving funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We gave him his first job,” said the owner of local grocery store Tillman Foods, “and he was a great, hard worker. He never gave us any trouble.”
“There’s only one way this can all happen,” Vance concluded, “and that’s by electing Donald John Trump as president of the United States.”
Vance then headed to Roanoke, Virginia, for his second rally of the day.
