TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Vice President JD Vance, speaking in his home state of Ohio before visiting Minnesota on Thursday, blamed the far left for the turmoil surrounding the White House’s deportation campaign.
“If you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country,” Vance stated in Toledo. “It’s not that hard.”
Vance plans to meet with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, which has been a focal point for protests since an agent fatally shot Renee Good, a mother of three, during a confrontation this month. Vance, a Republican, has played a leading role in defending that agent and has claimed that Good’s death was a tragedy of her own making.
He also praised the recent arrests of protesters who disrupted a church service in Minnesota, chanting ICE out and Justice for Renee Good. “They’re scaring little kids who are there to worship God on a Sunday morning,” Vance remarked, emphasizing that those responsible for the disruptions will face judicial consequences as long as Republicans hold power.
“Just as you have the right to protest, they have a right to worship God as they choose. And when you interrupt that, that is a violation of the law,” he added.
Vance’s focus during the appearance was primarily to support the Trump administration’s economic narrative, coinciding with Trump’s recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He also utilized the event to endorse key Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.
Convincing voters of the nation’s economic health has been a challenge for Trump during his second term. Polls indicate public skepticism regarding economic conditions and disapproval of foreign policy management. Vance urged voters to be patient with economic progress, stating, You don’t turn the Titanic around overnight.
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Carr Smyth reported from Columbus.
