Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) wasted no time when taking to the podium at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, immediately taking jabs at Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Trump campaign rally is the first joint event with his recent vice presidential pick and the first campaign rally since the assassination attempt at his rally in Pennsylvania last weekend.
“What a cool thing it was to be asked by President Trump to serve as his running mate and to get out there on the campaign trail, but there’s some bad news, actually,” Vance said as he greeted supporters.
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“The Vice President Kamala Harris, she doesn’t like me,” the crowd responded with a chorus of boos.
“Kamala Harris said something to the effect that I have no loyalty to this country,” the 39-year-old continued.
“Well I don’t know, Kamala, I did serve in the United States Marine Corps and build a business, what the hell have you done, other than collect a check?”
“What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices?” Vance asked the crowd.
“We have to give her credit, my friends,” he continued, “she did serve as ‘Border Tsar’ during the biggest disaster open borders we ever had in this country.”
Vance then said Trump would “close back that border, and bring some common sense and security to this country.”
The packed crowd of nearly 14,000, according to the New York Post, cheered along during Vance’s speech,
Vance also reiterated the classic 2008 Michael Steele line “drill, baby, drill” when talking about how Trump would secure “energy dominance.”
Vance also promised to “kick out the drug cartels of our country.”
The speech comes days after Harris used her first opportunity to take her own shots at Vance, after formally accepting the Republican vice presidential nomination.
In Fayetteville, North Carolina, Friday, Harris told supporters that Vance only gave fans part of his story.
“Some of you may have heard Donald Trump’s running mate deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention,” Harris said, adding that though “compelling,” it was “not the full story.”
“Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage,” she continued, as she began to outline the various right-wing movements the Ohio senator is linked to, including Project 2025.
“Here’s the thing, if you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word,” Harris said to a chorus of applause.
“You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans basic freedoms, opportunity, and dignity.”
Vance will hold his first rally as Trump’s vice-presidential nominee on July 22 in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, a Trump statement confirmed.
