Vice President JD Vance told voters Thursday that Republicans are offering safety, security and prosperity in the midterms, while Democrats stand with fraudsters, violent criminals and far-left interest groups.
With November’s congressional elections approaching, Vance urged Americans to make the choice in terms of the country they want to live in.
“Do you want to live in a country that has safety and security and prosperity?” Vance asked.
“If the answer is yes, and I think most Americans do, then vote for congressional Republicans over congressional Democrats on every single issue.”
The vice president carried that message into Michigan’s pivotal Senate race, where Republican Mike Rogers faces Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Vance accused El-Sayed of favoring policies that sent American manufacturing jobs abroad and positioned Republicans as the defenders of Michigan’s auto industry.
“We are the people who have been fighting for the jobs of Michigan auto workers,” Vance continued.
Earlier this week, Vance visited Michigan and called El-Sayed “very, very evil,” accusing him of stirring racial and religious divisions.
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El-Sayed has also faced questions about earlier comments involving violence against Jews and has sought to repair his relationship with Michigan’s Jewish community.
Vance conceded that no party wins unanimous agreement on every issue, but said voters should judge the administration by what it has done and what it intends to protect.
“My argument to the American people is not that you’re going to agree with us on every issue,” Vance noted.
“But they’re a bunch of crazy people. Elect the common-sense people to Washington, and we’ll keep on doing great work.”
One area where Vance sees that divide is federal benefit fraud. The vice president heads the White House task force focused on government fraud and said the administration’s work in Medicaid and food stamp programs is meant to keep aid in the hands of eligible recipients while protecting taxpayers.
“The Democrats have taken the side of fraudsters, of criminals, and of far-left interest groups over the side of the American people,” Vance said.
He returned to the taxpayer argument while explaining why Republicans want to cut fraud from those programs.
“Democrats have fought for the fraudsters, and Republicans have fought for the people who deserve these benefits and the American taxpayers who are paying those benefits,” Vance remarked.
Vance also faulted Democrats for resisting greater domestic energy production, tougher treatment of violent offenders and support for law enforcement. He credited the administration with lowering violent crime during its first 18 months.
“We have had, I think, the most successful anti-crime policy maybe in the history” of the country, Vance said.
Asked whether he could back Sen. Ted Cruz or Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for president instead of pursuing the Republican nomination himself, Vance declined to reveal his own plans for 2028.
“That’s an innovative way to ask the question,” Vance continued. “But I’m still not gonna take the bait.”
Vance instead pushed the question back to the midterms, saying Republican officials should spend their energy helping President Donald Trump retain the ability to advance his agenda during the administration’s final two years.
“I’d encourage any Republican, if you care about the country and I think all of us do, you should be focused not on a job a few years from now,” Vance said. “You should be focused on the midterms.”
He said Hegseth and “a whole host of people” could earn his support in a presidential race. Vance also praised Cruz as “a very authentic and likable guy” and said he was sure the Texas senator would “do great.”
Cruz has made moves of his own toward a possible 2028 campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported, including travel to Iowa and conversations with fellow Republicans about working on a future bid.
He resisted the notion that the GOP has already coalesced around Vance when MS Now raised the prospect last week.
“Oh, no. There’s gonna be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe,” Cruz remarked. “There’ll be time to figure that out. I’ll certainly be part of the discussion.”
Iran has become a point of friction between the two Republicans. The Trump administration abandoned negotiations after the Memorandum of Understanding agreement failed in June and returned to economic and military pressure.
Vance said the administration would not stake its strategy on Iran behaving responsibly or negotiating in good faith after attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
He rejected demands for an “artificial timeline” for the conflict, saying its course depends on Iran’s conduct and the effect of its attacks on global energy markets.
“You’re asking me a question like, when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships?” Vance questioned. “I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question.”
He said the United States would use its available tools to shield Americans from an Iranian nuclear program and keep global energy markets supplied.
“What we’re going to do is use the tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the American people, one, never have to deal with the threat of an Iranian nuclear program and, two, the world, energy markets are properly supplied,” Vance stated.
Vance said he does not view the conflict as a war because there are no active shootings, though he acknowledged places where violence has flared and major combat operations that lasted fewer than six weeks.
“Since then, we destroyed, of course, their nuclear facilities with Midnight Hammer,” Vance added.
“With Epic Fury, we destroyed their defense industrial base for producing weapons and also a lot of their conventional military and then we made it harder for them to rebuild that nuclear program.”
Cruz criticized Vance’s part in negotiating the failed agreement during a podcast released Wednesday.
“JD negotiated the MOU with Iran,” Cruz said. “That was a terrible deal.”
