Former President Trump and Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) launched their campaign as the new GOP presidential ticket in Michigan on Saturday, with Vance promptly targeting Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I’ve had an incredible, blessed week being asked by President Trump to be his running mate and hitting the campaign trail,” Vance told supporters in Grand Rapids. “But there’s some bad news. The vice president – Kamala Harris – she doesn’t like me. She said I have no loyalty to this country. Well, I served in the Marine Corps and built a business. What has she done other than collect a check?”
VP Kamala Harris and J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate
This exchange comes after Harris criticized Vance while speaking in North Carolina, highlighting his compelling personal story but noting he avoided discussing Project 2025, a 900-page plan for a second Trump term, which she labeled as extreme and divisive.
The Grand Rapids rally was the first joint appearance of Trump and Vance since the latter’s selection as running mate. It followed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and took place a week after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, PA, where he was shot in the ear.
Trump, wearing a smaller bandage than at the RNC, thanked supporters and described the incident as taking “a bullet for democracy.” He also praised news outlets for fair coverage of the attack and the RNC.
Trump mocked the Democrats’ uncertainty over their presidential nominee, suggesting he’d prefer to run against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, though she has dismissed the idea. He criticized Harris, calling her “laughin’ Kamala,” “crazy,” and “nuts,” and disparaged Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as “crazy as a bedbug.”
In his speech, Trump addressed inflation, immigration, electric vehicles, and criticized United Auto Workers leader Shawn Fain. He also rejected Project 2025, labeling it as “seriously extreme.”
In response, Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa condemned Trump’s rally, asserting that it showcased the same divisive and self-centered Trump, focused on lies, revenge, and failed policies.
Michigan, a critical battleground state, shows Trump narrowly leading Biden 45% to 44%, according to Decision Desk HQ. Vance is set to campaign in Ohio and Virginia on Monday.
