KENOSHA, Wisconsin — Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) claimed that he and former President Donald Trump are the law-and-order ticket during a visit to a city marred by riots in 2020.
Vance made a short campaign swing through Kenosha on Tuesday, where he touted the anti-crime agenda promoted by the Trump campaign and vowed to back law enforcement officers. The event, held against the backdrop of the Kenosha County Courthouse, came as the campaign received the endorsement of the Kenosha Professional Police Association.
Kenosha was the site of rioting in August 2020 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake that resulted in millions of dollars in damage and the destruction of dozens of buildings.
“Who was it that pacified the streets of Wisconsin and ensured that those riots didn’t spiral out of control and burn down the entire city? That was President Donald J. Trump,” Vance told the crowd of supporters.
“Without that, I really think that Kenosha would still be recovering from those terrible riots today,” he added.
Republican Senate contender Eric Hovde and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) also spoke at the law enforcement-focused gathering.
Vance used the event to praise Trump’s tenure and said that the pro-law enforcement and anti-crime record stands as proof that they are the ticket for those concerned about crime in Wisconsin and across the country.
“It is very easy, and very fun, to criticize the record of Kamala Harris, but we also have to remind ourselves that we don’t just have a vision on the Trump campaign, we don’t just have a bunch of promises on the Trump campaign — we have got four years of Donald Trump’s successful leadership,” Vance said about Trump’s public safety tenure.
He also touched on illegal immigration, vowing to end so-called sanctuary cities and to deport migrants who have already come into 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 crime associated with the new people flowing across the borders.
“We are going to deport the violent illegal aliens that have come into this country over the last two years. No more free rides,” Vance said.
Trump has laid out a vision of law-and-order conservatism. He has said he would stake out a far more aggressive stance on crime and would attempt a crackdown on drug traffickers, human traffickers, and the Mexican cartels.
“We are going to 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 efforts to counter the epidemic of drug overdoses, including mobilizing the military against Mexican cartels that deal drugs. Part of that would be a naval embargo on cartel operations, and another part would be direct military action to inflict “maximum damage” on cartels.
After the campaign event, Vance made a stop at Tenuta’s, a local deli and grocery, where he mingled with guests and ordered an Italian and some olives.
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Also on Tuesday, Vance faced questions from reporters on issues other than crime and law enforcement. In response to a question from the Washington Examiner, Vance said he thinks the campaign can win over union voters because it is committed to protecting domestic jobs and imposing tariffs on products from China.
“He’s the one who’s saying, if the Chinese want to use slave labor and then import stuff into our country, we’re going to put tariffs on the stuff they make with slave labor, and we’re going to protect the job of the American workers,” Vance said.
