MONROEVILLE — U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, campaigned in Pennsylvania on Saturday, starting the day with an evangelical Christian conference in suburban Pittsburgh before heading to an evening rally in suburban Philadelphia.
Vance appeared at the Monroeville Convention Center for an event billed as a “town hall” and part of self-proclaimed prophet Lance Wallnau’s “Courage Tour.” Wallnau is a major part of a religious movement seeking to assert Christian domination of American society.
Who is Lance Wallnau and why is JD Vance joining his “Courage Tour” in Pennsylvania?
The Courage Tour stops in seven swing states, and Wallnau supports former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
However, after conducting most of Saturday’s events and introducing other speakers, Wallnau did not join Vance on stage or even introduce him, leaving that role to local pastor Jason Howard.
Vance remained on message for about 40 minutes of the call, blaming Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, for policies he believed were having an adverse impact, repeatedly referring to the southern border and immigration as problems caused by Harris and President Joe Biden.
The discussion began with a question from the audience about the substance exploit epidemic and what Vance and former President Donald Trump would do to address it. Vance spoke at length about his mother’s battle with addiction, and she was in attendance Saturday. He blamed fentanyl for causing much of the current crisis.
“I think the fentanyl crisis has robbed us of so many second chances,” Vance said, citing the case of a woman he knew who was in recovery but had a relapse and took something laced with fentanyl that turned out to be fatal. “We have to get in [fentanyl] get out of our country and make our streets safer so that people can clean up and stay clean and if they step back, they won’t take their own lives.”
He added that he would like to “enable Christian charities” to receive federal aid. “Unfortunately, sometimes our federal government says, ‘If you’re a person of faith, we don’t want you to help us.’ And I think our approach should be like that. If you are a person of faith, we invite you to help because you are doing it for the right reasons. And that’s what we want.”
Another audience member, who said she homeschooled her children, expressed concern “about socialism being pushed so forcefully into our education system.” She asked what Vance and Trump would do “to save our schools and our children.”
Vance accused the federal Department of Education of allowing “radical groups” to receive taxes and shape public school curriculum.
“The American education system was the envy of the world,” he said. “Well, now we have American children who can’t add five plus five, but they can say there are 87 different genders. I think the two are related because we’re teaching kids radical ideas, we’re not teaching them the fundamentals, we’re not teaching them reading, writing, or arithmetic.”
Vance said that to get rid of “horrific socialism” from schools, the solution is to cut taxes on “radical organizations that are poisoning the minds of our children.”
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Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Aida Ross criticized Vance’s performance at Saturday’s Courage Tour event.
“After firmly entrenched in the echo chamber of anti-voter extremism, voter conspiracies and hateful rhetoric, JD Vance is now campaigning with Lance Wallnau – a conspiracy theorist whose history includes accusing women of “witchcraft,” calling abortion “apocalyptic ” and being in the Capitol on January 6,” Ross said, calling Vance’s speech “shameless pandering to the far right.”
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Harris’ campaign expressed a similar sentiment in a statement Saturday. “While Vance and Donald Trump spread lies, stoke division and cling to the past because they have no solutions to move us forward, Kamala Harris is leading us into a future full of opportunity for all Americans,” said Harris campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika.
Vance also urged viewers to not only vote on Saturday, but also encourage his five friends to go to the polls in November.
“We need to get Christians to the polls because if Christians don’t vote, Christians won’t have a voice in this country,” Vance said. “And I think that’s the worst possible outcome.”
Shapiro slams Vance for ‘not being candid with himself’
As Vance traveled from western to eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, Democrats gathered in suburban Philadelphia to bang the drum for abortion access. Writer and producer Shonda Rhimes and Gov. Josh Shapiro headlined the rally for reproductive freedom. Shapiro took particular aim at Vance, calling him a Trump “sidekick” and an “absolute fool.”
Shonda Rhimes is campaigning for Harris in Philadelphia, focusing on abortion rights
“That’s the thing about this guy, by the way: That’s why he’s so bad at his job,” Shapiro said. “He’s not honest with himself, so he can’t be honest with the American people. So every day he comes up with bullshit, attacks our communities, tries to put some people down because he doesn’t feel good about himself, so he tries to bully others.”
Shapiro said Trump and Vance have a “common goal” of taking away freedom.
“Make no mistake, when the Senate and House send them a bill to ban abortion nationwide, Donald Trump will sign it and J.D. Vance will be clapping behind him like a seal when he signs it,” Shapiro said. “We don’t want that in this nation.”
Bucks County supporter rally
During a rally in Bucks County, his first in the region in 2024, Vance promised that Trump would facilitate the world and the U.S. economy by providing robust leadership, mass deportation of illegal immigrants, securing the southern border and allowing fracking to begin.
“I have a very detailed plan for how we are going to ensure peace and prosperity,” Vance told the audience at the Newtown Sports Training Center at the Newtown Athletic Club. “Three words: elect Donald Trump.”
“If you win Bucks County while keeping the Southeast close, you win Pennsylvania,” said Jim Worthington, a staunch Trump supporter and sports club owner. He also founded the Trump 4 People PAC, which chartered buses to take area residents to Washington, D.C. for a Trump rally on January 6, 2021. Worthington he said that none of the passengers on his buses took part in the attack on the Capitol that day.
Republicans praised it recent escalate in Republican Party voter registration in Bucks Countywhich now gives the party an advantage. Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas said that 55 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties now have more Republicans registered than Democrats, so “it’s clear that voters in this state are turning away from Democrats.”
Republicans could gain an advantage in Bucks and several other countiesbut Pennsylvania is still home more registered Democrats than Republicans.
On Saturday, Democrats protested in support of their candidates, presidential candidate Kamala Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, in other parts of the suburbs. Gov. Josh Shapiro and television producer and writer Shonda Rhimes spoke with supporters in Montgomery County, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (Philadelphia) and other local leaders he spoke to fans in Doylestown in Bucks County.
Vance who was critical of Trump throughout his presidencypraised Trump on Saturday as a “candidate of peace.”
“Strong American leadership and, more importantly, strong American diplomacy keep the peace,” Vance said.
Vance said the economy would improve once America “kicked out” illegal immigrants, arguing that more jobs would be available to American citizens and employers would have to offer more competitive wages. He promised that fracking would be a boon to Pennsylvania’s economy.
Voter registration: Pennsylvania GOP continues to gain, but Democrats surge in key blue areas
Vance peppered his speech with contradictory criticism of Harris, saying she had “no substance” or agenda, then that she had “bad policy,” and then, in his view, Harris “copied all the [Trump’s] opinions” and “he will show up at the next rally wearing a red MAGA hat.”
Vance’s words were exactly what the crowd, many wearing their red MAGA hats, wanted to hear. They responded with shouts and cheers.
Rita Raudenbush, 77, of Bristol Township, said she believes everything Trump and Vance say.
“Four years ago I felt much better [Trump] performed his duties,” she added. “The price of everything is just skyrocketing. And especially since I’m a senior, at my age, covered by social security and a widow, every penny counts.”
“Everyone thrived under Trump,” said Christine Brackin, 59, of Langhorne. “They all went all the way down.”
Harris’ campaign rejected Vance’s remarks.
“Donald Trump’s health care record is defined by dangerous plans that will raise insurance and prescription drug costs for tens of millions of Americans, which is why Trump and Vance have resorted to blatant lies in their defense,” campaign spokesman Joseph Costello said.
“In the White House, Donald Trump has been a dutiful servant of Big Pharma, handing it billions in tax benefits while sacrificing the health and financial security of working families and seniors. To quote JD: “That’s exactly what he’s going to do again.”
This article was updated on September 28, 2024 with details of Vance’s rally in Bucks County and comments from Governor Josh Shapiro.
John Cole of the Capital-Star staff contributed reporting
