'Way too many politicians were just plain old corrupt': Vance recalls grandfather

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance invoked his steelworker grandfather’s belief that “way too many politicians were just plain old corrupt,” framing his criticism of Washington during the speech.

Vance used the family story to connect his grandfather’s working-class life with his broader criticism of politicians and public service.

He spoke on Friday, August 21, at Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio, where he delivered remarks on the Trump administration's 'America First' economic agenda, at the mill where his grandfather worked for nearly four decades.

JD Vance puts grandfather's warning at the center

Vance said his grandfather usually voted Democratic because he believed Democrats were the “party of Union men,” but he also distrusted politicians he viewed as corrupt.

“My grandfather said that the Democrats were the party of Union men, so usually voted Democrat, but he thought way too many politicians were just plain old corrupt. He was right,” Vance said.

He broadened that criticism to politicians who enter public service with little money and leave with substantial wealth.

“Politicians think about this. Who came to Washington with a few $1,000 in their bank account, left after decades of public service with millions in stock portfolios, and what did all of you get?” Vance said.

He followed by arguing that ordinary Americans did not receive the same benefits, saying, “If you were lucky, your neighbor's job got shipped to a foreign country, while your tax dollars got shipped to fraudsters.”

The remarks tied Vance’s family story to his broader criticism of Washington, using his grandfather’s experience as the starting point.

Vice president ties message to American dream

Vance also connected his family history to a broader description of the American experience, saying people who came before him helped make his life possible.

“They built this country together as one American family, black and white, rich and poor,” Vance said, adding that people who have been in the country for “10 seconds” or whose families have been there for “10 generations” are part of that story.

He said every accomplishment of American greatness has “a long line of people” behind it, including many who do not receive recognition for their contributions.

The speech took place at a steel plant where Vance said his grandfather worked for nearly four decades, giving the family story a direct connection to the audience and setting.

Vance also attacks Democrats on border

Vance shifted from his grandfather’s criticism of politicians to a broader attack on Democrats and immigration policy, invoking former Louisiana Gov Huey Long.

He referenced Long’s “Every man a king” political program before arguing that people cannot feel secure if their communities are threatened by crime.

Vance said, “ending the Biden border invasion was a big part of why we have changed that over the last 18 months.”

He accused Democrats of inviting “millions of illegal immigrants” into the country during the previous four years and said they allowed criminals, gang leaders, fraudsters, and others, into the country.

Vance specifically criticized Democrats, including former Ohio Sen Sherrod Brown, saying they had argued that Congress needed to pass new laws or regulations to address what he called Joe Biden’s “open border.”

“As we've learned over the past 18 months, it didn't require a new law to close down that border. It just required a new US president,” Vance said.

The Ohio appearance came as Republicans face competitive races in the state, with Sen Jon Husted facing Brown and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy running against Democrat Amy Acton for governor.