Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance recently rallied supporters in Arizona, stressing the importance of mobilizing friends to the polls in the two weeks leading up to the election. “I want you to consider this scenario—it’s a bit of a nightmare, but bear with me,” he told the crowd in Peoria, Arizona. “Imagine waking up on November 6th to find Kamala Harris narrowly elected as president by just 700 votes in Arizona. Think about that. What can you do between now and then to prevent that from happening?”
During his visit, which included stops in Peoria and Tucson, Vance highlighted the competitive nature of the race as former President Donald Trump prepares for a rally in the state this Thursday. Polling indicates a tight race, with Trump slightly leading over Harris, while Arizona, which went Democratic in the 2020 election, remains a critical battleground.
Vance’s message in Peoria was clear: supporters must “work our rear ends off for the next two weeks” to flip Arizona back to red. He humorously suggested that each voter should bring nine friends to help sway the election, quipping that the media would claim he was advocating voter fraud.
During the Q&A session, a reporter pointed out that many voters had already made their decisions, with a significant portion of ballots already cast. Vance acknowledged this but noted that there were still undecided voters who could tip the scales. His appeal was straightforward: “You don’t have to agree with everything I say or everything Donald Trump says. But can anyone deny the results?”
He addressed key issues resonating with Arizona voters, such as rising housing costs, inflation, and border security, arguing that the state was better off four years ago under Trump. He criticized Harris for her “softball interviews” and her record as vice president, stating that he felt sorry for Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, for having to defend her.
In Tucson, Vance escalated his critique, suggesting it must be difficult for Walz to convince people of Harris’s competence in governance. He also made a poignant reference to a recent tragedy involving a U.S. Marine killed in Mexico, blaming the Biden administration for its border policies and claiming they had failed to reach out to the victim’s family.
Vance promised the family of Nicholas Douglas Quets that, if elected, the Trump administration would take serious action against cartels, stating, “When Donald Trump is president, we’re going to kick the cartels’ asses, and we’re going to do it for you and for every person in this room.”
When questions arose about mass deportations, the crowd in Tucson cheered, particularly at the mention of deporting undocumented immigrants. Vance clarified that while prioritizing violence criminals was crucial, the plan would extend to anyone who had violated immigration laws. “We have to be willing to deport not only the bad actors but also those who violated the law in coming here,” he emphasized, while also acknowledging the need for a humane approach.
Despite criticizing early and mail-in voting, Vance encouraged supporters to utilize any voting methods that worked for them, asserting it was vital to take advantage of every opportunity to get their voices heard. He refrained from committing to accept the results of the upcoming election in Arizona, recalling issues from 2022 when printer malfunctions led to voting irregularities. “Whether you think that was just incompetence or something else, it’s not okay,” he concluded, noting that the campaign is performing significantly better in 2024 than it did in 2020.