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Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance spoke on the Congress of the International Association of Firefighters in Boston on Thursday, a day after Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke at the identical event.
Both candidates are vying for the support of one among the biggest unions, which represents nearly 350,000 employees.
An IAFF spokesperson told Boston.com that each campaigns had contacted the union about speaking on the event, but they didn’t provide an actual timeline for when each candidate would accomplish that.
After being introduced by Republican Rep. Carlos Giménez of Florida, Vance was greeted with a mixture of boos and cheers as he took the stage.
“Sounds like we have some fans and some haters,” he said. “That's okay.”
Vance began his speech by talking about his mother, who he said struggled with addiction.
“Believe me, believe a child who saw it with his own eyes,” Vance said. “Without some of the people sitting in this room, we probably wouldn't have a second chance with my mother.”
Vance said he was “proud” to be a “populist” and called former President Donald Trump a “different kind of Republican.”
“Our enemies and many Democrats call us populists as if it's an insult,” Vance said. “If being a populist means being on the side of working people and not the powerful elites who have hollowed out our middle class and pushed us into stupid foreign wars, then I'm in.”
The Senator from Ohio asked the union, the supported Joe Biden for president in 2020, but has not yet announced support for that race to think about supporting the Republicans this time.
“For decades, unions have supported Democratic candidates without paying much attention to Republicans,” Vance said. “What good has it done for you in this union to support Democrats for so long?”
The IAFF spokesperson told Boston.com that there isn’t a set timeline for a possible advice.
Vance acknowledged the union's “diverse” political beliefs and thanked his firefighter friend from Dayton, Ohio, for changing his mind about Trump.
“Some of you love President Trump, some of you obviously don’t,” he said.[Trump] modified my mind and he won my vote, and for the skeptics on the market, I hope he modified your mind too.”
On Wednesday, Walz was also conscious of the bipartisan demographics of his audience and made an appeal to the Republicans and undecided candidates in the room.
“When Republicans used to speak about freedom, they meant it – but not anymore,” Walz said. “These guys over there want the federal government to have the liberty to invade every corner of our lives, from our union halls to our kids's schools to our doctor's offices.”
But Vance said Trump “cares about the working people.”
“Many Democrats need to attack Republicans as anti-union, and sometimes that's true, but not me and never Donald Trump,” he said.
In his speech, Walz attacked Vance and Trump for their attitude toward workers and Project 2025.
“The only thing these guys find out about working people is how you can exploit them,” Walz said. “Project 2025 is a plan to reshape what America looks like by turning away from the center class and putting it back within the hands of the oligarchs and the wealthy at the highest.”
Vance asked for the union's support and endorsement.
“I would like your support,” Vance said. “We will fight for you whether we get it or not.”
image credit : www.boston.com