Vance Tests 2028 Style in Midterm Speeches
The Vice President is using midterm rallies to refine a populist message that blends economic grievance with cultural nostalgia.
By Luca Harrison ·
Vice President JD Vance spent Thursday in Weatherford, Texas, mocking Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Vance told the crowd that Talarico needed to "grapple with his masculinity in addition to his whiteness." He added that there was not much to grapple with, prompting cheers.
The speech occurred the same day President Donald Trump addressed a crowd in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Vance's delivery differed from the President's. Analysts describe Vance's style as less comedic and more practiced, though it retains core elements of the MAGA movement. These rallies offer a preview of a potential presidential campaign in 2028.
Vance often references a nostalgic version of America. In North Carolina this week, he cited the unity felt after the attacks of September 11, 2001. In Howell, Michigan, he spoke about local businesses sponsoring youth football teams. He noted that many of those businesses no longer exist. Vance blamed politicians in distant capitals for the decline, saying those leaders did not care about states like Michigan or Ohio.
His messaging also leans into culture wars. In North Carolina, Vance described children of working-class Black and white families playing football together. He said they would never worry about skin color or privilege. This narrative frames his politics as a return to traditional values, packaged with a more formal delivery than his predecessor. However, he has recently incorporated cruder language, telling a Texas audience he was "sweating my balls off" at the podium.
Vance faces difficulty promoting Republican candidates while the current President remains unpopular. He addresses economic pain points carefully. He rarely mentions the Iran War, which drove up fuel costs, but instead attributes high gas prices to general geopolitical instability. In Montana, he compared current prices to spikes seen in 2022, 1979, 2001, and 2007. He also cites meatpacker consolidation as the cause of high beef prices, avoiding a direct critique of Trump's policies that have angered producers.
Between campaign stops, Vance leads the President's anti-fraud task force. This role allows him to reference his past work as a grocery store cashier and his family's use of federal food benefits. His personal history, including military service and rural poverty, provides a biographical contrast to Trump. The task force serves as a platform for him to discuss these experiences directly with voters.
