Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) fired back at Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday during a rally in Minnesota, where he and former President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters. The exchange began when Harris recently took to social media to question Vance’s loyalty to the United States, claiming that he would prioritize Trump’s interests over those of the country.
Vance, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, took umbrage with Harris’s assertion, pointing out the irony of her criticism. “I think it’s an interesting word, loyalty, because there’s no greater sign of disloyalty to this country than what Kamala Harris has done at our southern border,” Vance said, his voice rising in indignation.
The crowd erupted in applause as Vance continued to challenge Harris’s narrative. “I’d like to ask the vice president, what has she done to question my loyalty to this country?” he asked, before reminding the audience of his own service in the Marine Corps and his business endeavors. “I went to Iraq for this country, I built a business for this country, and my running mate took a bullet for this country,” Vance said, referencing the assassination attempt on Trump.
The senator’s remarks were met with sustained applause, which caused him to pause several times. “The answer, my friends, is nothing,” Vance said, his voice dripping with disdain. “So let’s send a message to the media, to Kamala Harris, and to every hardworking patriot from Minnesota to across the country: we are ready to have Donald J. Trump back, and we are going to work our tails off to make sure it happens!”
Vance’s comments came as Trump’s campaign seeks to put Minnesota in play for the 2024 presidential election. The state has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1972, but Trump came close to winning it in 2016. Recent polling suggests that the state could be a battleground once again, with Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) acknowledging that the race will be “close.”
While Vance won’t face Harris directly on the debate stage, Trump has expressed interest in participating in multiple debates with her. The Trump campaign has not committed to a debate at this time, citing Harris’s uncertain status as the Democratic nominee. However, Trump’s team has hinted that loyalty could be a key issue in the upcoming campaign, and Vance’s remarks on Saturday suggest that the topic will continue to be a point of contention.
