Speaking before a spirited crowd of around 1,000 attendees at the Berks County Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 21, 2024, Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance delivered an impassioned speech, rallying supporters to turn Pennsylvania red and re-elect Donald Trump as president. The event focused on Vance’s fiery rhetoric targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and her policies, particularly regarding immigration, law enforcement, and economic issues.
In his opening remarks, Vance made special acknowledgments to local Republican leaders, including Berks County GOP Chair Susan Bernhardt and Lisa Scheifer, founder of Hope and Coffee, for their roles in supporting GOP efforts in Pennsylvania. He even lightened the mood with mentions of his two young children, sharing that they were “thrilled to be in Pennsylvania” but perhaps more excited about their planned visit to Hershey Park later in the day.
“We have 44 days till we are going to turn this state red, turn the country red, and make Donald Trump the next president,” Vance declared, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Throughout the speech, he criticized Harris for her stance on defunding the police, banning fracking, and what he described as disastrous border policies. His repeated attacks on Harris resonated with the pro-Trump crowd, particularly when he referred to her use of a teleprompter, suggesting she “has no idea what to say unless somebody else is writing her lines.”
Before the rally, Vance made a stop at a grocery store in Northwest Reading, where he interacted with locals and commented on the soaring prices of groceries, particularly noting that eggs had nearly tripled in price under Harris’s watch. Sharing a lighthearted moment with the crowd, he recalled how his 7-year-old son, after being given the freedom to choose anything in the store, simply requested eggs—underscoring the impact of inflation on everyday essentials.
“A dozen eggs, almost $4 in Pennsylvania. Thanks, Kamala Harris,” Vance said, blaming the current administration’s policies for the spike in inflation and linking it to broader issues of affordability across the state.
Despite the sharp critique, Vance struck a personal chord when discussing the opioid epidemic, reflecting on his own family’s struggles. He shared the emotional story of his mother’s recovery from addiction, emphasizing the importance of addressing the drug crisis worsened by what he called Harris’s “open border policies.”
“I’m so proud of my mom, who’s close to ten years clean. But there are a lot of families who haven’t been so lucky, and it’s because of the poison Kamala Harris has let into this country,” Vance said, tying the opioid crisis to immigration and fentanyl trafficking across the southern border.
The speech was not without a call to action. Vance rallied supporters to not only vote but to encourage others to do the same. “I want everybody to take out your phones, post a photo, and tell people why you’re voting for Donald Trump,” Vance urged the crowd, encouraging them to find nine friends to take to the polls in an effort to turn Pennsylvania red.
