Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance faced a mixed reception Thursday at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Convention in Boston, where he was met with boos from some members of the union.
Vance, who is running alongside former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, delivered a speech that questioned the union’s longstanding support for the Democratic Party, leading to a contentious response from the audience.
Vance began his address by acknowledging the mixed reactions, saying,
Sounds like we got some fans and some haters.
Despite the boos, Vance pressed on, urging the union members to reconsider their political loyalties.
“Listen to what I have to say here, and I’ll make my pitch,” he continued, though the jeering persisted, especially when he declared the Trump-Vance ticket as the “most pro-worker Republican ticket in history.”
Vance challenges union’s support for Democrats, faces criticism
During his speech, Vance directly challenged the IAFF’s past endorsements of Democratic candidates, referencing the union’s 2019 endorsement of Joe Biden for president.
“In 2019, this union endorsed a Democrat for president with high hopes,” Vance said. “But sadly, I believe you’ve been let down.”
Vance argued that despite the union’s historical support for Democrats, the party has failed to deliver on its promises to workers.
We have to be honest, my friends, the hard truth is that Kamala Harris is the latest in a long line of Democrats who come by every few years asking unions for money and promising you the moon, but often failing to deliver.
He went on to highlight the decline in union membership over the past several decades, linking it to a broader decline in the influence of unions and the stagnation of wages for both union and non-union workers.
Over the past 70 years, union membership in this country — and this is not a good thing — has declined,” Vance noted. “The influence of unions has declined, and the wages of working people, union and non-union alike, have not kept up with the pace of inflation over the last three and a half years.
Vance echoed a question famously posed by Trump during his 2016 campaign, asking the firefighters, “What the hell do you have to lose?”
Vance takes aim at Harris, vows to stand with firefighters against mandates
In addition to questioning the union’s political alliances, Vance took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of failing to support law enforcement and first responders during the summer of 2020, when protests against police brutality swept across the country.
“We sure as hell will not bail out the criminals like Kamala Harris did,” Vance asserted, referencing Harris’s support for bail funds that aided protesters during that time.
He further pledged that a Trump-Vance administration would be tough on crime, promising to “put criminals behind bars where they belong” and to “always stand with the courageous firefighters and the first responders who keep this country safe every single day.”
Vance also addressed the issue of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which have been a point of contention among some first responders.
We’re going to defend your right to free speech, including your right to speak out about unconstitutional COVID vaccine mandates imposed by the current administration.
Vance vowed to abolish all such mandates and to reinstate any firefighters who were terminated due to vaccine-related disputes, with full back pay.
Mixed reception highlights tensions within the union
The mixed reception Vance received at the IAFF Convention highlights the ongoing tensions within labor unions, many of which have traditionally supported Democratic candidates but are increasingly being courted by Republicans.
Vance’s speech was an attempt to capitalize on these tensions by positioning the Trump-Vance ticket as the true pro-worker choice in the 2024 election.
However, the boos and jeers he faced underscore the challenges Republicans may encounter in persuading union members to shift their political allegiances, especially in a union as historically aligned with the Democratic Party as the IAFF.
As the 2024 election approaches, the response to Vance’s speech may serve as a barometer for broader union sentiment, revealing whether Republican efforts to win over traditionally Democratic-aligned labor groups will gain traction or falter.
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