JD Vance pitches himself as Trump’s political heir on day two of Republican midterm convention

President Trump and Vice President JD Vance closed a two-day Republican convention in Dallas, urging voter turnout and highlighting the party’s agenda ahead of the midterm elections. Vice-president dog-whistled, exaggerated claims of success and echoed Trump talking points to excited audienceJD Vance made a clear pitch that he should be the heir to Donald Trump on Thursday night, closing out the Republicans’ midterm convention with a blistering speech that featured exaggerated claims of success, criticism of Democrats as “lunatics” and an aggressive dismissal of a protester waving a Mexican flag.Speaking in Dallas, the vice-president showed he could channel the basest instincts of his boss, filling his remarks with dog whistles and echoing Trump’s false claims that Democrats “cheered” the 7 October massacre of Israelis. US vice-president JD Vance is widely regarded as an early front-runner for the Republican Party's 2028 presidential nomination.

(AFP pic)DALLAS: US vice-president JD Vance accused Democrats of running on "hate" Thursday and urged voters to send them packing in November, using a prime-time convention speech to rally Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.Taking the stage in Dallas to a huge roar and chants of "JD! JD!", Vance sought to sharpen a convention-long portrayal of Democrats as extremists, saying disagreements within the Republican coalition paled in comparison to those dividing the left."This fall, the Democrats are running candidates who will tell your children what they're allowed to say, how they're allowed to live, and, importantly, who they ought to hate," Vance said."Because that's what the Democrat Party is about in 2026. It's about foreign fraudsters, and it's about who they hate," he said.The 42-year-old vice president's appearance also offered Republicans a glimpse of a potential post-Trump future, with Vance widely regarded as an early front-runner for the party's 2028 presidential nomination.His keynote immediately before president Donald Trump's closing remarks gave him one of the convention's most prominent speaking slots, although Vance has said he will not decide on a White House run until after the midterms.Republicans enter the November elections under heavy pressure.US election tracking site Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats will win the House 229-206 and has the Senate on a knife-edge at 50-50.

Trump's approval rating has languished in the low-to-mid 30s amid stubborn inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.Trump dramatically raised the stakes in his opening-night keynote Wednesday, promising a US$5,000 "Trump dividend" to every American adult if Republicans retain both chambers of Congress.He also strongly defended the Iran war, predicting victory would bring down oil prices, and warned that the US would become a "communist country" if Democrats prevail.Family and future Family and fatherhood were recurring themes in Vance's address as he sought to contrast what he described as traditional values with the political left.He also paid tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his killing, addressing Kirk's young children directly."History will record that your father was … US Republicans return to the stage on Thursday to close their midterm convention, still betting that Donald Trump's political magnetism can overcome grim election forecasts—while giving Vice President JD Vance a prime-time showcase as a potential heir. Trump will dominate the finale of the two-day gathering, delivering closing remarks after Vance's keynote address at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.

The unusual convention has been built around a simple message: Trump may not literally be on November's ballot, but Republicans want the president's supporters to behave as though he is. That strategy comes with the party under heavy pressure. US election tracking site Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats will win the House 230-205 and take the Senate 51-49.

Trump dramatically raised the stakes in his opening night keynote on Wednesday, promising a $5,000 "Trump dividend" to every American adult if Republicans retain both chambers of Congress in November. He also made explicit the convention's central electoral pitch. "I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot—I'm on the ballot, I'm on the ballot—just one more time," he said.

He strongly defended the Iran war, predicting victory would bring down oil prices, and warned that the United States would become a "communist country" if Democrats prevail in the election. Vance's appearance adds intrigue to the closing night. The 42-year-old vice president is widely regarded as an early front-runner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, although he has said he will not make a decision until after the midterms.