TOI World Desk
“Kamala Harris said something to the effect that I have no loyalty to this country.Well, I don’t know, Kamala, I did serve in the United States Marine Corps and build a business. What the hell have you done other than collect a check?” Vance declared to the crowd.
Vance’s comments came in response to Harris’s recent criticism of his stance on the 2020 election results. Harris had earlier in the week accused Vance of supporting former President Donald Trump’s plan to overturn the election. In a video released on Wednesday, Harris said, “Make no mistake: JD Vance will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country,” as reported by ABC News.
The Michigan rally marked Vance’s first appearance with Trump since being selected as his running mate. It also was Trump’s first rally following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania the previous week.
During the rally, Vance rejected media claims that Trump and the Republican agenda are “radical” and “dangerous,” receiving a warm welcome from supporters in Michigan, according to CNN.
Notably, Vance’s family did not attend the rally. He mentioned that his wife, Usha, was taking their children, aged 7, 4, and 2, “out on the town” in Grand Rapids.
Former President Trump, returning to the campaign trail days after accepting the Republican nomination for president at the Republican National Convention, wore a smaller, beige-colored bandage on his ear. This rally followed an assassination attempt where Trump was shot in the upper part of his right ear during an event in Pennsylvania.
Rally attendees in Michigan sported shirts featuring Trump’s image, with many merchandise tables outside the venue selling similar items. Last week’s shooting incident had resulted in one fatality and two critical injuries among rally-goers. The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was killed by Secret Service agents.