Vice President JD Vance warned a vote for Democrats in November is a vote for a return to higher crime and inflation, arguing the Trump administration needs another term of GOP power to iron both issues out.
Vance’s comments came as he was pressed on what his message is to voters ahead of the midterm elections during a Newsmax interview. As Democrats seek to make the election about affordability issues, contending that the Iran war has jacked up prices nationwide, the vice president sought to push back. He maintained that President Donald Trump and Republicans have brought inflation down from record highs during the Biden administration, in addition to bringing down crime rates, and sought to convince the country against voting back in “a bunch of radicals who cause these problems that you’re frustrated by in the first place.”
“I see the message is two very simple things. First of all, don’t give power to the crazy people who started these problems in the first place. If you’re frustrated about high prices, you have every reason to be frustrated by high prices. If you’re frustrated by the fact that crime is higher than it should be, you have every reason,” Vance said.
“But we got the crime rate at the lowest level in 126 years after the Democrats got it at record levels. We’ve got inflation now finally under control after the Democrats got it to its highest level in 48 years,” he continued. “I think for us the message is we’ve made a lot of progress, but we’ve got to make more progress over the next couple of years — reinvest, double down on the political people who have done right by the country over the past 18 months.”
Vance’s message comes as Republicans are fighting to stave off losses in the House and Senate in November, a move that would defy historical norms. Democrats increasingly believe they have a path to reclaiming vital seats that could give them back the majority in the Senate. Tight Senate races in Maine, Texas, Ohio, Alaska, and elsewhere are some of the top campaigns driving fears on the GOP’s side.
In North Carolina, Vance on Monday campaigned in Greensboro for GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley, who is facing a spirited challenge from former Gov. Roy Cooper.
With about a month and a half to go before the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats hold an overall 5-percentage-point lead over Republicans, according to an NBC News poll released on Sunday. In addition to the Iran war, Trump’s tariffs have also posed a problem for the GOP, with around 75% of voters saying they are important to their midterm voting decisions.
“People are just starting to pay attention,” Vance said of the upcoming elections on Monday.
The vice president acknowledged that voters are facing higher fuel prices due to the Iran war, but argued it is necessary to keep Iran from building nuclear weapons. He placed the blame for higher prices on Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz and maintained voters should still favor Republicans on the economy due to other economic factors he said are looking up.
DESPITE TRUMP POLL DROPS, NEWSOM URGES DEMOCRATS NOT TO ‘SPIKE THE FOOTBALL’
“A lot of people feel like they’ve got good jobs, wages are rising faster than inflation for the first time,” Vance said. “And so, there’s a lot to be proud of. I think obviously people are very apprehensive about the news in the Middle East, fuel prices and so forth.”
“Why are gas prices so high? It’s because the Iranians continue to fire missiles and drones at commercial shipping,” he added. “We’re of course doing everything that we can to ensure that oil and gas continues to flow. … But let’s put the responsibility where it actually exists.”