Vice President JD Vance sought to appeal to voters who might have qualms with some of the Trump administration's policies in his speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 10.
"Look, I'm not asking anybody to agree on every single policy of the administration," Vance told the crowd. "What I am asking you to do is to recognize the contrast with the radicals, and recognize the achievements of the last 18 months."
Trump's low approval rating is presenting a challenge for Republicans with less than two months before the November election.
With Democrats eager to make the election a referendum on Trump, much of the GOP convention has focused on setting up a contrast with Democrats by accusing the party of being too extreme.
Vance
kicked off his remarks by honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated a year ago.
"Charlie left behind two children, two little kids, they were too young to fully understand, and a wife, the amazing Erika, who has carried on his mission with more courage and resolve than most of us will ever be asked to show," Vance said.
The speech by Vance, a likely 2028 presidential candidate, is one of his biggest opportunities yet to rally the party faithful and consolidate support.
Vance revisits spat with El-Sayed
Vance during his keynote address, revisited a public spat he shared with Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed.In August, El-Sayed responded to a clip on X of Vance referencing his late grandfather as he spoke about the Democratic candidate. El-Sayed responded to the clip by writing, "So do we think JD is taking Usha (Vance) with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…"Vance addressed El-Sayed at an Aug. 31 rally, saying, "keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth." The vice president again at the midterm convention mentioned his grandfather while recalling a visit to his hometown."Abdul looks at him, sees the color of his skin, sees his background, and decides that he could never have loved my wife," Vance said. "This is who the Democrats are now."El-Sayed is in a right race against Republican Mike Rogers, who spoke earlier in the evening. Rogers and multiple other speakers have sharply criticized El-Sayed's policies throughout the event.
Usha Vance said 'hell no' to convention, VP says
Second lady Usha Vance wasn't in Dallas for a simple reason, her husband said at the convention: In July, she gave birth to their fourth child, Alec."You should have been there when the organizers of the midterm RNC asked my wife, who had a two-week-old baby, and three other kids that are very young, if she would come to Dallas, Texas, to introduce her husband," JD Vance said."She said, 'Hell no, I've got four kids to take care of,'" he added. "But she sends her love, and I know she's watching at home."Vance used the personal anecdote as a windup to promoting Trump administration policies that he said are helping.
Vance says convention a 'joyful' and a 'sober' occasion as he honors Kirk
Vance told attendees that the convention speech was both a "joyful occasion" and a "somber one" as he reflected on the anniversary of his close friend Charlie Kirk's assassination one year ago.Vance said that history will record that Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was "a great man." Addressing his comments to Kirk's widow, Erika, and their two children, he added: "But those of us who loved your dad we knew him as something even better than a great man, he was a good man."Erika Kirk was in the arena on the first night of Republican midterm convention, sitting with Vance and other Republican brass when Trump delivered his keynote address. Turning Point held its own event on Thursday evening at Utah Valley University, the college campus where Charlie Kirk was speaking when he was killed.Vance called into Kirk's namesake radio show earlier in the day. He hosted the program last September in the aftermath of the conservative activist's death.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vice President JD Vance urges uneasy voters to back GOP in midterms
