JD Vance Criticizes Kamala Harris in First Solo Appearance as GOP VP Nominee

In JD Vance’s first solo appearance as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, the Ohio Senator questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’s appreciation for the United States and chastised her fellow Democrats, who he accused of supporting President Biden “until he became political deadweight.”

Questioning Gratitude and Leadership

“If you want to lead this country, you should feel grateful for it, you should feel a sense of gratitude,” Mr. Vance said. “And I never hear that gratitude coming through when I listen to Kamala Harris.”

Campaign Launch

Mr. Vance’s remarks in southwest Ohio were made during the first official campaign event for either party’s presidential ticket since President Biden announced on Sunday that he would not seek a second term. Mr. Biden stepped down just a week after Mr. Vance was named former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, which the Ohio senator joked was like a bait-and-switch. Mr. Vance said he expected to join a vice-presidential debate against Ms. Harris, but she is now widely expected to take over as her party’s presidential nominee.

Personal Biography and Campaign Focus

He spent much of his speech in Ohio talking about his biography and the lessons he learned growing up in southwest Ohio and on trips to rural Kentucky with his grandmother to visit extended family. That experience was at the core of his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” Mr. Vance, who will turn 40 next week, is among the youngest Americans ever nominated to a presidential ticket. His youth and relative inexperience in politics — he was sworn in to his first elected office last year — immediately made him an intriguing figure in a race featuring an 81-year-old incumbent and a 78-year-old challenger.

Protest and Criticism

Not everyone welcomed the hometown candidate. The Butler County Democratic Party organized a protest of Mr. Vance’s event that drew about a dozen people, including Carolyn Dell-Patrick, who said Mr. Vance’s memoir was an unfair portrayal of their shared hometown. “He made our town sound like a hillbilly haven, and it’s not true,” said Ms. Dell-Patrick, 73, a lifelong Middletown resident.

Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Virginia Democratic Party, said Mr. Vance’s conservative positions would do little to help the blue-collar workers he has vowed to support. “As someone born and raised in Appalachia, I know two things about JD Vance: He forgot where he came from and he doesn’t care about working-class people,” Ms. Swecker said. “His extremism isn’t welcome here in Virginia, and we’re going to make sure to defeat him and Trump in November — just like we did last time.”