Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) is making the border a central matter, comparing himself to Vice President Kamala Harris as he fights to flip the script against the “border czar” herself.
In a flurry of campaign appearances, since former President Donald Trump selected Vance as his running mate, the Ohio Republican has promised to step into a role the Biden White House tapped Harris to do.
During the spring of 2021, the Biden administration assigned Harris to address immigration reform at the U.S.-Mexico border. While the GOP has argued Harris oversaw a surge of illegal immigration at the border, Vance promises he’s the man “to do exactly the opposite" as he commits to massive deportation efforts.
Illegal immigration was a running theme of Vance’s debut address to the nation. As he gave a keynote address at the Republican National Convention in July, Vance spoke about the harm millions of illegal immigrants crossing “open borders” have caused by creating “cheap labor” and taking away jobs from citizens.
“Citizens had to compete, with people who shouldn’t even be here, for precious housing,” Vance mourned.
Vance’s ire for the perceived immigration failures fell mostly at Biden’s feet as the Republican’s maiden speech preceded the Democratic president’s campaign exit. However, Vance warned the MAGA base that “Kamala Harris is not much further behind,” as the firebrand senator pledged to “put the citizens of America first” if Trump wins the election.
On July 27, Vance waded into the border problem again as he rallied MAGA supporters during an event in Minnesota.
Less than five minutes into his address to the crowd, Vance opened fire on Harris as “a card-carrying member of the San Francisco Lunatic Fringe” and claimed later that the Democrat had “invited” millions of illegal immigrants into the country.
Vance spent more than a third of his roughly 20-minute speech to Trump supporters focused on Harris and the border.
“There is no greater sign of disloyalty to this country than what Kamala Harris has done at our southern border,” he said.
The New Right leader contrasted himself to Harris, promising to launch “the largest deportation program in the history of this country.”
Days later, during his next major rally before voters in Nevada, the Ohio Republican repeated his attack on the “border czar" before he hit the three-minute mark of his first solo campaign address. Trump’s feisty running mate was quick to call Harris “dangerously liberal” and claimed the surge of illegal immigration at the border was by the vice president’s “design.”
“During her first failed run for president, she told everyone exactly what she wanted: to decriminalize Illegal immigration, to tear down immigration customs and enforcement, and open up the floodgates while giving everybody who came here free healthcare,” Vance told crowds.
In the past week, Vance has continued to focus campaign appearances along the U.S.-Mexico border, harping on Harris’s role in facilitating “the worst border crisis in American history.”
On Thursday, Vance joined National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez for an Arizona border event.
If illegal immigrants "can come into this country and they know they're never going to be deported, you effectively have an open border” because “that's what Kamala Harris promised," Vance warned during the battleground state campaign appearance.
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He offered a solution to “what Kamala Harris did.”
“Donald Trump and I promise to do exactly the opposite,” Vance said.
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