STERLING HEIGHTS, MI — Vice President JD Vance denounced ethnic and religious nationalism during a campaign appearance in Michigan on Monday, warning that judging Americans according to race, ethnicity or religion threatens the idea of common citizenship.
Speaking at a political rally in Sterling Heights, Vance argued that Americans should see themselves as members of one nation rather than as competing ethnic or religious groups. His comments came while he was campaigning against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and supporting Republican candidates in Michigan.
“When you have people who start to say my ethnic group deserves something and yours doesn’t, or that ethnic group is good and this other ethnic group is bad, that is how you erode the very foundations of commonality and common citizenship.”
Vance said the country cannot remain united if political movements encourage Americans to view one racial, ethnic or religious community as more deserving than another. He urged voters to reject efforts to divide people by race or religion.
The remarks were delivered during a highly political speech in which Vance sharply criticized El-Sayed over his response to a March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, as well as El-Sayed’s previous associations and comments. El-Sayed has since apologized for portions of his initial response to the synagogue attack.
Although Vance’s remarks were made in the context of Michigan politics, his broader message focused on national unity: that citizenship should not depend on a person’s ethnic background, race or religion.
Sources: Washington Examiner; Wall Street Journal; AF Post on X
By NJ RADAR Team