Radford, Virginia – Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance took to the stage at his second solo rally of the day, holding back no punches against Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s newly anointed leader (at least for now. The southwest Virginia city is right in the middle of Appalachia, culturally similar to where Vance grew up in Ohio and Kentucky.
The crowd broke out in a “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant when Vance talked about the need to bring manufacturing jobs back from overseas to America’s Rust Belt. The seats filled up with more than an hour to go before Vance’s scheduled speaking time, and an overflow crowd filed in behind the chairs, surrounding the press pen.
Jobs and inflation were the biggest issues for most attendees. We need jobs — and not just for young people leaving school too. We need better jobs for older folks and elderly people too,” said Tina Compton, a tax-support specialist who’s lived in Virginia for decades. But it’s also about safety. Opioids have touched just about every family in this county at this point, including mine.
It’s also about respect,” added Raymond Young, a retired Army officer. Growing up we respected presidents. We respected our flag. J.D. is a great choice to help get us back there.
Vance’s speech covered topics such as corrupt Joe Biden not being fit to run for president or serve as president, and the need for better leadership that values American manufacturing. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, one of the warmup speakers for Vance, remarked about the moment for the country to come together and make a change.
Asked about the Democratic ticket, Miyares said, “The problem is not personnel, it’s the policy. That’s the problem. The policies have led to 30% inflation, rent is sky high, mortgages sky high, gas is sky high.” He pointed out a bumper sticker that read ‘Make groceries affordable again,’ suggesting this summarizes the current state of Americans and their concerns about federal spending leading to increased prices.
The event concluded with K.V., a 16-year-old poet, expressing how empowering Vance’s speech was. Although she cannot vote yet, she would vote for him if she could.
