Vance escalates attacks on Democrats as Republicans rally around Trump
The vice-president used the Republican convention in Dallas to frame Democrats as extremists, while Donald Trump again made himself central to the November campaign.
US Vice-President JD Vance has intensified Republican attacks on the Democratic Party, describing it as the “party of hatred” during a prime-time speech at the party’s convention in Dallas.
Vance urged voters to support Republicans in November’s midterm elections and accused Democrats of seeking to control what children say and how they live. He also alleged that Democrats sympathised with those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The claims, reported by France 24 International, were not independently substantiated in the source material.
Family and fatherhood were central to Vance’s appeal. He accused political “radicals” of attacking traditional families and called on them to “stay the hell away from our kids”, presenting family values as a defining Republican contrast with the left.
Donald Trump praised Vance after the speech and again urged supporters to campaign as though he were on the ballot, despite not being a candidate in the midterms. Vance’s prominent speaking slot reinforced his position as a possible successor to Trump in the 2028 Republican presidential contest, although he has said he will defer a decision until after the midterms.
Republicans are campaigning under electoral pressure. Decision Desk HQ projects that Democrats will win the House 229–206, while forecasting a 50–50 Senate. Trump’s approval rating was reported in the low-to-mid 30s amid inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.
Trump also repeated a proposal to pay every American adult a US$5,000 “dividend” if Republicans retain both chambers of Congress. The pledge is not enacted policy and could cost about US$1.384 trillion if distributed to more than 276 million adults.
