Ohio Senator JD Vance opened a town hall in North Carolina with a line parodying one of Vice President Kamala Harris‘ frequent remarks in public speeches.
“I grew up in a working-class family,” the Republican vice presidential candidate began, pausing with a smirk before quickly adding, “I’m kidding,” prompting laughter and applause from the crowd at High Point University.
Speaking at the Turning Point Action event hosted by conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Vance targeted Harris’ references to her middle-class background, which she often uses to connect with American voters.
“Kamala Harris often says, ‘Did you know I grew up in a middle-class family?'” Vance said. “What the hell does that have to do with lowering inflation?”
Vance contrasted his working-class background with the Democratic presidential candidate’s, suggesting his roots make him more attuned to everyday Americans’ economic challenges.
During the town hall, Vance reiterated his usual critiques of the Biden administration’s policies, particularly on economic and manufacturing issues. He argued that Harris and President Joe Biden had failed to create a favorable climate for domestic manufacturing.
“The American tax code is designed to reward investment overseas and penalize investment in the U.S.,” Vance argued, pointing to offshoring as a key factor behind stagnating wages over the past four decades. “The one exception was when Donald Trump was president, from 2017 to 2020.”
Senator JD Vance at a campaign event in Racine, Wisconsin, on October 28. Vance trolled Vice President Kamala Harris by repeating one of her oft-used lines about working families.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Throughout the event, Vance used Harris’ phrasing to highlight their differing approaches to U.S. economic policy, particularly on tariffs, which he said could encourage companies to invest in American workers rather than relying on cheaper overseas labor.
“If they try to bring something manufactured by Chinese slave laborers into our country, we’ll say they have to pay a penalty,” he explained, suggesting that tariffs would protect U.S. jobs and promote fair wages for American workers.
Vance also addressed specific Trump-era immigration policies that he said had been rolled back by the Biden administration, including halted deportations and the suspension of construction on the United States-Mexico border wall, which he argued exacerbates immigration issues.
“If you know you can come in without being deported, you’ll keep coming in illegally,” Vance said.
Additionally, Vance criticized the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy, saying that individuals seeking asylum are allowed to “roam freely in the U.S. for 15 years” rather than being required to remain in Mexico while their cases are processed—a policy Vance asserted is crucial for managing immigration effectively.
Vance has been traveling across the country rallying for his running mate, aiming to appeal to undecided voters even as over 50 million Americans have already cast their ballots.
On Thursday, Vance appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience—arguably the most influential platform among young American men, a key demographic the Trump campaign has been working to engage.
