‘Tired of being called racist’: Vance defends Trump supporters over immigration, crime concerns

DALLAS, TEXAS: Vice President JD Vance, on Thursday, September 10, the second day of the first-ever Republican National Convention in Dallas, argued that Trump supporters have grown tired of being labelled “racist” when raising concerns about immigration, crime, and government spending.

Vance said voters had watched factory closures and crime while the country became “dirtier and poorer and less safe and less prosperous.”

The vice president also accused Democrats of ignoring fraud and said their response instead was to label those who raised concerns as “racist.”

JD Vance cites Medicaid fraud while defending Trump administration

Vance opened his remarks by describing Republicans as tired of being dismissed when they raised concerns about public safety and immigration.

“And we were tired of being called racist for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer and less safe and less prosperous,” Vance said.

Vance cited a Medicaid fraud case involving two women, one of whom he said was born in Somalia.

Vance alleged that the women defrauded Medicaid of $46 million by establishing fake autism clinics and using people to falsely enroll children.

“And that's millions of dollars that ordinary American parents needed to help their special needs children, but instead went to foreign kickbacks and spending sprees for fraudsters,” Vance said.

Vance said the administration had identified $250 billion in fraud since President Donald Trump appointed him to oversee the issue.

He argued that money intended for government programs had instead been lost to fraud, including programs serving homeless people and expectant mothers. 

He then accused the Democrats of failing to prosecute fraud and said those who raised concerns were instead labelled racist.

“Here's what the Democrats did. They refused to prosecute the crime, and by the way, they called everybody who noticed their fraud racist for noticing that there were people stealing from our children and our new and expectant mothers,” Vance said.

JD Vance attacks Abdul El-Sayed, Democrats in speech

Vance also used his speech to respond directly to Michigan Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who recently commented on Vance’s earlier remarks about his late grandfather.

Vance had previously said his grandfather, whom he calls “papaw,” would not recognize the current Democratic Party.

El-Sayed responded on X by writing, “So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no?” The comment referred to Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, who is Indian-American.

Vance said El-Sayed’s response instead reflects his views on people based on their heritage.

“Abdul looks at him, sees the color of his skin, and decides that he could never have loved my wife,” Vance continued. “Abdul was raised, in part, by his own white step-grandparent and he chose anyway to say that a man like my grandfather couldn’t have loved someone who looks like Usha.”

Vance then broadened his criticism to the Democratic Party, arguing that its current candidates were increasingly defined by opposition to America rather than by different policy positions.

“The Democrats are the party of hatred,” Vance said. “They’re the party that despises America and the people who built it.”