JD Vance is hitting the road again to help get allies elected ahead of the midterms.
It comes just days after a disastrous visit to Hungary helping out President Donald Trump’s ally and three-term incumbent Viktor Orbán, who was defeated at last weekend’s election.
On Tuesday, Vance also spoke at a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia, where he was met with thousands of empty seats.
Axios reports that Vance will travel to Iowa on April 30, where he will appear at two events. First, at a swing district in the southwest of the state to assist Rep. Zach Nunn in what is expected to be a close fight against Democratic state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott.
Then he is heading to an event for TPUSA at Iowa State University in Ames, despite the bruising event on Tuesday.
Tickets to the event were free at the 180,000-sq.-ft. venue, which has a capacity of more than 8,000 seats. Vance, however, suffered the ignominy of what MS NOW’s Jake Traylor estimated was around only one-quarter attendance, around 2,000 people.
Footage from the event shows rows and rows of empty seats, especially in the surrounding stands.
Vance’s visit to Iowa at the end of the month comes as talk of him running for president in 2028 swirls.
The 41-year-old, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been heavily touted as the frontrunner to succeed Trump.
The Iowa caucuses serve a historic role as the first-in-the-nation trials for presidential hopefuls in their respective primaries, and are a key psychological battleground early on in any race for the White House.
Not everyone, however, wants Vance’s help at the moment.
Following Orbán’s catastrophic electoral implosion last week, other right-wing populist nationalists in Europe have been turning their backs on MAGA.
Speaking to Bloomberg on Tuesday, Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken, who is both an immigration critic and nationalist with the New Flemish Alliance party, said Vance’s visit was a “really dumb campaign move.
“The MAGAs should really stop campaigning internationally because everyone and everything they support loses the elections,” he said.
Louis Aliot, vice president of France’s right-wing party, National Rally, told Bloomberg, “Everyone must defend their national interests, and our interests do not always align with those of the U.S.,” adding, “It’s also important to highlight our differences.”
Despite the setbacks—which include plummeting approval ratings for his boss, Trump—Axios reports that Vance plans to be a heavy campaigner ahead of November’s polls.
Seeking to the outlet, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, said, “Vice President Vance’s visit underscores that Iowans’ interests will always be top of mind as long as Republicans are leading the country.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the Office of the Vice President for comment.
