As Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly picked running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, hit the campaign trail this week with rallies in several battleground states, Ohio Sen. JD Vance is holding his own rallies in those same states — but striking very different messages.
Harris-Walz lay out campaign promises, double down on calling Trump-Vance ‘weird’
In their first rally as running mates, Harris and Walz laid out what CNN analysts called “the policy appeal she will make to voters in November”: Harris promised to pass a nationwide abortion law, to protect and expand voting rights, and to fight for “reasonable gun safety laws.”
Harris emphasized Walz’s record as Minnesota governor, applauding him for being the first governor in the U.S. to sign a law that made abortion a right with no restrictions and for providing meals to all public school students.
“He refused to let students go hungry,” she said, according to The Associated Press. “So, he made school breakfast and lunch free for every child.”
Walz, meanwhile, doubled down on calling Trump and Vance “weird.”
Trump and Vance “are creepy and yes, they’re weird as hell,” Walz said. “I can’t wait to debate the guy.”
Harris and Walz followed up Tuesday’s rally with rallies in other battleground states, including Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Vance attacks Harris’ border policies, Walz’s military service
Vance’s campaign schedule matches Harris’ and Walz’s, with Trump’s VP pick holding his own rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, followed by rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin the next day.
While Harris touted Walz’s credentials in their rally Tuesday night, Vance downplayed the role of the vice president.
Last week, Trump said the vice presidential nominees have “virtually no impact” on the results of the election.
“It’s all about the presidential pick,” Trump said, per Newsweek. “Historically, the choice of the vice president makes no difference. You’re voting for the president.”
When asked about Trump’s comments Wednesday, Vance agreed that voters make their choices based off of “the top of the ticket,” The Associated Press reported.
“What the president has said, and I agree with him, is that most people are voting at the top of the ticket,” Vance said, before questioning Walz’s record in Minnesota. “Now, Tim Waltz is a crazy radical, of course. He allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis, but most people are going to be voting for Kamala Harris or for Donald Trump.”
While Vance focused much of his rally in Michigan Wednesday attacking Harris’ immigration policies, he also questioned Walz’s military service.
“You know what really bothers me about Tim Walz as a Marine who served his country in uniform? When the United States Marine Corps — when the United States of America — asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. I did what they asked me to do it, and I did it honorably, and I’m very proud of that service,” Vance said, per the Hill.
“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did?” he said. “He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.”
Walz’s left the Minnesota National Guard after 24 years to run for Congress in 2006, shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq, as Newsweek reported.