KENOSHA, Wis. — Senator JD Vance (R-OH) claimed that he and former President Donald Trump stand for law and order during a visit to a city marred by unrest in 2020.
Vance made a brief campaign tour of Kenosha on Tuesday, where he promoted the anti-crime agenda promoted by the Trump campaign and pledged to support police officers. The event, held outside the Kenosha County Courthouse, came after the campaign received the endorsement of the Kenosha Professional Police Association.
In Kenosha, riots broke out in August 2020 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, causing millions of dollars in damage and the destruction of dozens of buildings.
“Who was it that pacified the streets of Wisconsin and made sure these riots didn’t get out of control and burn down the whole city? It was President Donald J. Trump,” Vance told the crowd of his supporters.
“Without that, I truly believe Kenosha would still be recovering from those terrible riots today,” he added.
Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) also spoke at the gathering, which focused on law enforcement.
Vance used the event to praise Trump’s tenure, saying Trump’s pro-law and anti-crime record was proof that they were the right choice for those concerned about crime in Wisconsin and across the country.
“It’s very easy and a lot of fun to criticize Kamala Harris’ record, but we also have to remember that we don’t just have a vision for the Trump campaign, we don’t just have a bunch of promises for the Trump campaign – we have four years of successful leadership by Donald Trump,” Vance said of Trump’s tenure as security chief.
He also addressed illegal immigration and promised to put an end to the so-called sanctuary cities and deport migrants who have already entered the country illegally.
Republicans have used the wave of illegal immigration in recent years as an indictment of Biden’s leadership. They have also warned about the crime associated with the new people streaming across the border.
“We will deport the violent illegal immigrants who have come to this country over the last two years. No more free passes,” Vance said.
Trump has outlined a conservative vision of law and order. He has announced that he will take a far more aggressive stance against crime, cracking down on drug traffickers, human smugglers and the Mexican cartels.
“We will support the death penalty for drug dealers because they kill far more people than some of the most violent and vicious criminals,” Vance said in Kenosha.
Trump has proposed extraordinary measures to address the drug overdose epidemic, including mobilizing the military against Mexican drug cartels. This includes a naval embargo on the cartels’ operations, and another part is direct military action to inflict “maximum damage” on the cartels.
After the campaign rally, Vance stopped at Tenuta’s, a local delicatessen and grocery store, where he mingled with the patrons and ordered an Italian meal and some olives.
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On Tuesday, Vance was also asked by reporters about issues other than crime and law enforcement. In response to a question from Washington ExaminerVance said he believes the campaign can win over union voters because of its commitment to protecting domestic jobs and imposing tariffs on products from China.
“He’s the one who says, ‘If the Chinese use slave labor and then want to import goods into our country, we will impose tariffs on the goods they produce with slave labor, and we will protect the jobs of American workers,'” Vance said.
