Vance tests 2028 pitch in Texas

Vice President JD Vance spent Thursday in Weatherford, Texas, mocking Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. He told the crowd that Talarico had to grapple with his masculinity in addition to his whiteness. Vance added, "James, the good news is, there ain't a whole lot to grapple with." The remark drew cheers as Vance positioned himself for a potential 2028 presidential run.

The speech occurred the same afternoon President Trump addressed a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Vance’s delivery differed from the president’s style. He appeared less like a comedian and more like a practiced politician. His rhetoric included standard MAGA themes, such as questioning a candidate’s manhood and promising a return of American greatness.

Vance frequently invokes a specific vision of American history. In North Carolina this week, he cited the sense of pride and unity Americans felt after September 11, 2001. In Howell, Michigan, he recalled his childhood football teams. He noted that local small businesses sponsored those teams but no longer exist. "They were casualties of politicians in a faraway place who didn't give a damn what happened to Michigan or Ohio, and it was us that paid the consequences," he said.

He frames his politics as a defense of traditional community values. In North Carolina, he described children from working-class Black and white families playing football together. He said they would cheer with one another and never worry about skin color or privilege. This narrative packages anti-woke sentiments in a traditional format. Vance also experimented with crassness, telling the Texas audience he was "sweating my balls off" at the podium.

Vance faces a difficult task promoting Republican candidates while serving an unpopular president. He navigates economic complaints caused by executive actions. He rarely mentions the Iran War in stump speeches, a conflict that drove gas and diesel prices up. Instead, he presents high fuel costs as a recurring result of geopolitics. "They skyrocket in 2001. They skyrocket in 2007. They skyrocket every time some tin pot dictator decides to throw a tantrum," he told a Montana crowd.

He also attributes high beef prices to consolidation among meatpackers. This explanation sidesteps the role of Trump policies in angering beef producers. Vance has also served as head of the president's anti-fraud task force. In Cincinnati, he mentioned working as a cashier at Dhillon Foods, a job located about 20 miles from the venue. He noted that many family members benefited from federal food benefit programs.

Vance’s background in poor, rural southern Ohio gives him distinct political tools. He can speak personally about military service and economic hardship. Trump’s appeal relied on bombast and unfiltered anger rather than biographical relatability. Vance must determine what can replace that performance in the hearts of GOP voters.