President Donald Trump and his administration are facing long odds on the campaign trail for the Republican congressional midterm elections, but the White House has big plans for Vice President JD Vance.
Following the President’s State of the Union address last week, days before the Iran war began, the Daily Mail traveled with Vice President JD Vance on Air Force Two to Plover, Wisconsin.
It was an important stop in the Midwest as the VP plans to spread the President’s economic message to voters in important swing states with just eight months to the midterm elections.
The Vice President has a series of events planned for key swing districts in the United States, a source familiar with his strategy told the Daily Mail.
Vance’s success in helping Republicans prevail, or at least minimize losses, in the midterms will impact his overall future as a presidential candidate.
He’s considered to be the President’s most influential advisor of his inner circle, according to new exclusive Daily Mail/JL Partners poll of registered voters.
Nineteen percent of respondents said the Vice President is the most influential member of Trump’s inner circle. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was second with 12 percent followed by Donald Trump Jr. and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller tied for third place.
Vance also has the attention of Republican donors. On Tuesday night, Vance held a fundraiser that raised six million dollars, the most lucrative fundraiser for Republicans since becoming vice president.
US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office with President Trump
Vice President JD Vance listening with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, left, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, second from left, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, right, in the White House Situation Room
The Vice President is focused primarily on the administration’s economic message, as demonstrated in his campaign speech to supporters in Wisconsin.
Notably absent from his speech to middle Americans was a discussion about foreign policy or wars.
That is not expected to continue, one former Trump advisor told the Daily Mail. The VP will ultimately have to answer voters’ questions about Trump’s latest decision to launch military strikes in Iran.
Forty-four percent of Americans in the Daily Mail/JL Partners poll believe that attacking Iran was the wrong thing to do, while 35 percent believe it was the right action to take. Twenty-two percent of Americans are unsure.
Behind the scenes, Vance reportedly cautioned Trump against launching military operations in Iran but ultimately advised the President to move quickly and strike hard if he decided to act.
Vance’s political future depends on how voters square his campaign rhetoric opposing the United States going into war, but he is comfortably ahead in the polls.
The Daily Mail/JL Partners poll shows the Vice President leads potential candidates for the 2028 Republican presidential ticket with 53 percent support.
Rubio, who is leading messaging on Operation Epic Fury, is in second place with 14 percent followed by seven percent for Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Since Trump launched the strikes, Vance has defended the president’s decision as a way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Rubio continues outlining a broader case against Iran, including the need to strike proactively before Israel attacked Iran first.
The White House has identified over 30 different competitive congressional seats in danger this election cycle, requiring Republicans to pay special attention to places where they are playing defense.
Vance is focusing on issues surrounding the border crisis, fighting inflation, boosting wages, and securing trillions of dollars of foreign investments into the United States. The vice president will also remind voters of the stark choice that voters face if Democrats win power.
‘This November, voters have a choice between the Democrats, who only care about illegal immigrants and transgender for everybody, and Republicans, who are fighting to make American families better off. They will make the right decision,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
The Vice President is focused primarily on the administration’s economic message, as demonstrated in his campaign speech to supporters in Wisconsin. Notably absent from his speech to middle Americans was a discussion about foreign policy or wars
U.S. Vice President JD Vance waves after speaking at Pointe Precision in Plover, Wisconsin,
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks at Pointe Precision in Plover, Wisconsin
‘It’s so good to be back in WisCANsin, am I saying it right?’ Vance joked as he took the podium, emphasizing the Wisconsin accent.
Vance was sent to Wisconsin to bolster support for Representative Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL who faces a close race this year.
During his remarks, Vance pivoted immediately to Democratic lawmakers, reminding voters they refused to clap for strong border policies.
The vocal protests from Democrats during the President’s speech from nearby states Rep. Rashida Tlaib from Michigan and Rep. Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, Vance recalled were like ‘nails on a chalkboard.’
Trump had painted a stark contrast between congressional Republicans and Democrats during his speech, Republican strategists agreed, thrilled by Trump’s State of the Union address that also emphasized issues on fighting inflation and tax cuts.
In a historic first, long-range Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) were used in combat during Operation Epic Fury
US Central Command released photos of US aircraft carriers deployed in Operation Epic Fury
Vance reminded them that Democrats also refused to support the President’s belief that the government should prioritize American citizens first over illegal immigrants.
He told the audience of about 300 supporters that he spoke with the President multiple times a day about the economy.
‘Every single day the President will say to me, ‘What have we done today? We gotta do more,’ revealing his ‘intense work pace.’
In Wisconsin, Vance went through his stump speech, pointing out everything the administration had done to help grow small businesses with tax cuts and expensing reform as well as expanding tax rebates for families, pursuing lower gas prices, and lower utility bills.
Vance also has an additional responsibility to deliver substantial results on tackling fraud. During the State of the Union address, Trump appointed the vice president as a ‘fraud czar’ to root out government fraud and corruption.
But his visit to Wisconsin focused squarely on local concerns in the region.
The VP singled out questions from the local press about concerns with cost of living, closure of rural hospitals, energy consumption of data centers, and the shortage of health care workers. He also addressed commodity markets suffering from sagging dairy, soybeans, and corn exports hurting farmers.
Ultimately, Vance voiced support for the ‘quality of life’ for people who ‘work hard and play by the rules,’ blaming the previous administration for their struggles.
Vice President JD Vance reacts to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address
Vice President JD Vance steps off Air Force Two at Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, Wisconsin
‘We were put in a very big hole,’ Vance said, referring to the Biden administration’s inflationary policies.
Wrapping up his message, Vance shared his final thoughts surrounding the movie ‘Rudy’ he recently watched with his eight year old son who was really into football.
Rudy, Vance said, was the ‘classic American tale’ about a young boy with big dreams who wanted to play on the Notre Dame Football team. Rudy’s dad, Vance reflected was living the American dream by working a blue collar job and supporting his family. The priest in the movie was present to lead his community and encourage them to higher aspirations.
‘When we talk about the American dream I’m not talking about my American dream, I’m talking about your American dream,’ he said, noting that the American dream ‘came in many shapes and sizes.’
‘The government cannot give it to you, for you,’ he added, but that bad government policy could destroy it.
Vance recalled his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, reminding voters that, ‘I’ll never forget where I came from.’
‘Every single day, I go to work,’ he said. ‘We fight for the American dream for you and your family however you define it.’
