Vance steps forward as Trump’s potential political heir
US Vice-President JD Vance has made his clearest pitch yet to become US President Donald Trump’s political heir, delivering a combative address at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas that closely mirrored the president’s rhetoric while signalling his own ambitions for the party’s future.
Vance received the loudest reception of any speaker apart from Trump during the two-day convention, with delegates chanting “JD, JD” and some openly calling for him to become the Republican presidential nominee in 2028.
“We gotta take care of business this November, then we’ll worry about what comes next,” Vance said with a smile when the crowd urged him to look beyond the midterm elections.
The vice-president used the speech to rally Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base, attacking Democrats as “lunatics” and accusing them of seeking to weaken immigration controls, defund police departments and undermine the traditional family.
He also echoed several of Trump’s disputed claims, including an allegation that some Democrats in New York had “cheered” the October 7 attack on Israel. He accused a “new generation” of Democrats of being driven by “hardcore hatred” rather than policy differences.
Vance drew the strongest reaction of the night when he confronted a protester who briefly interrupted his speech while waving what he described as a Mexican flag.
“Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there. I’ll buy you the plane ticket,” Vance declared, prompting raucous applause from the arena.
The speech highlighted the delicate political balancing act facing Vance as he seeks to establish himself as a leader in his own right without appearing to challenge Trump, who remains the dominant force within the Republican Party.
Vance repeatedly praised the president, describing Trump as “the toughest SOB in American politics”, while championing issues central to the MAGA movement, including immigration, manufacturing, religious freedom and opposition to transgender rights.
He also invoked his family, referring to the recent birth of his fourth child and saying he viewed America’s future through “the eyes of the future of my son”.
The convention also featured a major economic pledge from Trump, who promised that every adult American could receive $5,000 if Republicans win both chambers of Congress in the November midterm elections.
With nearly 270 million adults in the US, the proposed payout could cost about $1.3 trillion. Trump provided no details on funding or implementation, while Democrats dismissed it as an empty promise and critics questioned its feasibility.
Vance, meanwhile, praised the late far-right activist Charlie Kirk, assassinated in Utah a year ago, telling his children that history would remember their father as “a great man” and “a good man”.
The address underscored Vance’s growing prominence within the Republican hierarchy and positioned him as one of the leading figures likely to shape the party after the Trump era.
