Vance assails Democratic 'hate' in fiery midterm pitch

US VP says disagreements within the Republican coalition has paled

DALLAS:

US Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of running on "hate" and urged voters to send them packing in November, using a prime-time convention speech to rally Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Taking the stage in Dallas to a huge roar and chants of "JD! JD!", Vance sought to sharpen a convention-long portrayal of Democrats as extremists, saying disagreements within the Republican coalition paled in comparison to those dividing the left.

"This fall, the Democrats are running candidates who will tell your children what they're allowed to say, how they're allowed to live, and, importantly, who they ought to hate," Vance said. "Because that's what the Democrat Party is about in 2026. It's not about you. It's about foreign fraudsters, and it's about who they hate."

The 42-year-old vice president's appearance also offered Republicans a glimpse of a potential post-Trump future, with Vance widely regarded as an early front-runner for the party's 2028 presidential nomination.

His keynote immediately before President Donald Trump's closing remarks gave him one of the convention's most prominent speaking slots, although Vance has said he will not decide on a White House run until after the midterms.

Republicans enter the November elections under heavy pressure. US election tracking site Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats will win the House 229-206 and has the Senate on a knife-edge at 50-50. Trump's approval rating has languished in the low-to-mid 30s amid stubborn inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.

Trump dramatically raised the stakes in his opening-night keynote on Wednesday, promising a $5,000 "Trump dividend" to every American adult if Republicans retain both chambers of Congress.