Vance Returns to Ohio Hometown for First Solo Rally as Trump’s Running Mate

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and his wife Usha Vance arrive at Middletown High School in Middletown, Ohio, on July 22, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio—More than two decades after walking the halls of Middletown High School, the 39-year-old freshman senator returned to his alma mater to deliver his first solo speech as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.

Almost 24 hours after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Mr. Vance chastised the current president for leaving the race and criticized Democrats for supporting him for so long.

“This is not OK, ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Vance said. “If you want to run for president, you’ve got to make your case to voters. [Trump] faced some good competition, and he made his case to voters.”

After delivering an address at the Republican National Convention last week following the news that he had joined former President Trump’s ticket, Mr. Vance expressed his appreciation for the town where he grew up.

“I love this town, and I’m so grateful to be formed by it. My life wasn’t that different than a lot of people in Middletown. It was tough, but I was surrounded by people who loved me,” he said.

Large Crowd for Rally

Two hours before Mr. Vance took the stage, a few thousand supporters formed a line that stretched hundreds of yards. Vendors sold Trump–Vance apparel, and the ambiance was similar to a Trump rally.

Inside, a list of speakers that included U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and Bernie Moreno, who is running to unseat U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in November’s general election, spoke. The crowd waved a sea of red and blue campaign signs. One man held up a banner that read “JD Vance for President: 2028,” drawing boisterous cheers.

For part of his address, Mr. Vance talked about his personal story, including life lessons he learned in this industrial town midway between Cincinnati and Dayton in southwest Ohio.

He was thrust into the national spotlight when his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” was released in 2016.

The book, which depicts his family’s struggles in Appalachian Kentucky and his mother’s addiction during his childhood in Middletown, shot to the top of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. It was adapted into a Netflix movie that was directed by Ron Howard and nominated for two Academy Awards.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) speaks at his first rally since former President Donald Trump chose him as a running mate in Middletown, Ohio, on July 22, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

“Hillbilly Elegy” has held the top spot on the Amazon bestseller list since Mr. Vance was announced as former President Trump’s running mate.

Mr. Vance has said home in the truest sense of the word was in Jackson, Kentucky, in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, where his maternal grandparents, whom he called Mamaw and Papaw, lived.

“Mamaw,” Mr. Vance’s grandmother, is a key figure in the book and the movie.

During his speech, Mr. Vance grinned as he shared a story about how the family found 19 loaded handguns among her possessions after she died in 2015.

Ohio state Sen. George Lang told the audience that the childhoods of former President Trump and Mr. Vance were drastically different.

“Donald Trump was born to a family of opportunity and entrepreneurism. JD Vance was born into poverty. Donald Trump had a father who taught him business and the ways of the world. JD Vance had a mom who was a drug addict, and she is 10 years drug free now. Donald Trump attended high school at the finest military school. JD Vance walked the halls of this high school here in Middletown, Ohio,” Mr. Lang said.

“JD had one thing Donald Trump did not have. He had a mamaw who taught him the value of hard work.”

Career Evolution

Mr. Vance’s career and life have significantly changed since July 2021, when he stood behind a lectern at a Middletown factory and announced that he was running for the U.S. Senate seat that opened when Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) chose not to seek reelection.

For much of the campaign, Mr. Vance trailed multiple candidates in polls, but he gained momentum when he was endorsed by former President Trump. After winning a contentious Republican primary, he handily defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in the general election.

Eighteen months into his freshman term, Mr. Vance earned the ultimate endorsement from former President Trump.

Near the entrance to the high school, as enthusiastic Trump–Vance supporters joined a long line waiting to get in the auditorium and hear the vice presidential candidate speak, about a dozen protesters held signs criticizing Project 2025 and the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Cleveland Canova, a Democrat running for the Ohio House of Representatives in a Republican stronghold district in nearby Warren County, was one of the demonstrators.

He voiced his support for “reproductive freedom” and questioned how Mr. Vance could be an ardent critic of former President Trump and then join him “on a ticket for the most powerful position in the free world.”

Mr. Canova said that Mr. Vance is “incredibly intelligent” but is an “abortion absolutist” and lacks the experience to be vice president.

He called Mr. Vance a “DEI hire,” referring to the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “The guy wrote a book and he did some pretty good stuff in business. But what has he done to be qualified to serve as president if that happened?” Mr. Canova said.

Youth and Energy

Mark Smith, president of Bikers for Trump, told The Epoch Times that Mr. Vance is the ideal choice as former President Trump’s vice president because of his commitment to “never forgetting where he came from” and his young age.

“He brings energy and youth to the party, and that’s what we need,” Mr. Smith said.

Republican vice president nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) speaks at his first rally since nominated as vice president for former President Donald J. Trump at Middletown High School in Middletown, Ohio, on July 22, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Kelley Green, who heads Bikers for Trump’s Cincinnati chapter, has three children with her husband. One of her sons is in the police academy and preparing to serve in the U.S. Army. Her husband is a Marine. Because of these ties, Mr. Vance’s story resonates with her family, she told The Epoch Times.

“Just knowing that a boy from, who grew up here gets the opportunity to represent us in the national spotlight is inspiring,” Mrs. Green said. “We value commitment and service to our country. He comes from the same upbringing, and we’re proud of that.”

In the second half of his address, Mr. Vance turned his attention to the current vice president.

He jokingly lamented that he won’t get to take part in a vice presidential debate against Ms. Harris, as she will likely end up at the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket.

“Every country—just like every family, certainly mine—has its pockmarks, right? Not everything’s perfect,” Mr. Vance said. “But if you want to lead this country, you should feel grateful for it.”