EXCLUSIVE: TYLER, Texas — Faced with an uphill battle in November’s midterms as costs soar for Americans, Vice President JD Vance is making a pitch that the alternative is not better and argued that Democrats would only make existing problems like street crime worse.
“It sort of drives home how the Democrats have kind of lost their minds,” Vance told Fox News Digital Tuesday when asked about a recent rash of Somali gang violence in Minnesota.
“And if you elect Democrats, you’re fundamentally electing people who will invite criminals into your state, into your communities and make your communities less safe.”
In typically blue Minnesota, Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate but is facing a tough challenge from Republican Michele Tafoya.
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“If you elect Republicans, you may not agree with us on everything, but we agree on some basic principles,” Vance continued. “Like, for example, everybody should be safe. Everybody should be secure in their communities, and we don’t want let violent criminals come into our country.
“So, I do think that contrast is driven a little bit more starkly given what’s happening in Minnesota.”
Fox News Digital spoke with the vice president after a campaign rally in the town of Tyler, Texas, about 100 miles east of Dallas, Tuesday. There, Vance rallied for Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who is also in a tight U.S. Senate race with Democrat state Rep. James Talarico.
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The progressive candidate recently returned from a two-week campaign absence, which Vance described as “odd.”
“How old is he? Thirty-five? Forty?” Vance asked about Talarico. “You’ve got to have the energy to do the job, and taking two weeks off the campaign in October — that’s the meat of the campaign — I just think it’s a very, very bizarre thing.”
The vice president added that he hopes Talarico’s health is OK but that Texans must weigh whether he has the energy to do the job as a U.S. Senator.
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In that race, Talarico has demanded a debate with Paxton, who has yet to oblige. President Donald Trump said the two should debate, posting to Truth Social that Paxton is “ready, willing, and able.” Vance took a softer stance when asked about a potential debate.
“That’s ultimately something Ken Paxton and James Talarico are going to decide,” Vance told Fox News Digital, adding that Paxton will make a “great senator.”
“Obviously, those are some … things the campaigns have to negotiate,” he continued. “But I’ll let Ken Paxton and James Talarico make that decision. Ultimately, they each have to make their case to the people of Texas.”
Nationwide, Republicans are underwater when it comes to the economy and cost of living, along with the war in Iran, according to Fox News polling.
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Of those polled in September, 61% say gas prices are a major problem, up from 48% from two years ago, while 52% say the same for healthcare costs, up from 44%. Majorities also view housing costs (54%, down from 60%) and grocery prices (62%, down from 66%) as major problems ahead of the November election.
In a similar poll, 71% of respondents said the Trump administration lacks a concrete strategy for ending the ongoing war in Iran.
The two issues are closely related after gas prices spiked sharply from a national average of $2.98 per gallon at the start of the war earlier this year to an average of $4.33 per gallon today.
“Well, we obviously want gas prices to be as low as they possibly can,” Vance said. “And I think voters have to ask themselves, ‘Who has affirmatively taken steps to lower gas prices in the face, of course, of the Iranians terrorizing international shipping?’”
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Vance accused Democrats of complaining about the problem without offering solutions.
“We saw the president’s announcement, with Russian diesel being allowed to come into the market,” he said. “We have massive refinery capacity that we’re announcing that we’re going to build upon here. So, we’re doing everything that we can, recognizing that building out energy refining capacity takes some time.
“I’m very cognizant that a lot of Americans are struggling with high gas prices,” he acknowledged. “We’re doing as much as we can to address as much of the pain as possible.”
The 50th vice president stopped short of providing a definitive end date or marker that would signify an end to the war but said Iran must commit “not to rebuild [uranium enrichment] capacity and to stay off a pathway of nuclear weapons.”
“They’re going to stay off the pathway that’s developing a nuclear weapon, and I think the president’s been quite clear about that. I think the entire administration has been quite clear about that.”
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