Vice President JD Vance is using increasingly sharp rhetoric against Democrats as Republicans campaign to retain control of Congress in November. Speaking at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Vance called some Democratic candidates “lunatics” and said they had “lost their ever-loving minds,” while presenting the election as a stark choice between the two parties.
Vance delivered the remarks during a roughly 40-minute speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, an event designed to rally Republican voters ahead of the November elections. His speech focused heavily on portraying Democratic candidates and policies as outside the political mainstream, particularly on immigration, crime and cultural issues.
At one point, Vance said: “Some of the Democrats running this fall are lunatics. They’ve lost their ever-loving minds.” The statement was part of a broader attack on Democratic candidates rather than a reference to any medical or psychological assessment.
A style closely aligned with Trump
The language also reflected the confrontational campaign style long associated with President Donald Trump.
Trump appeared at the same Dallas convention and repeatedly attacked Democratic opponents while urging Republican voters to turn out in November. Reuters reported that the convention placed Trump at the center of the Republican midterm strategy, with Vance closely aligning himself with Trump’s political message and style.
Vance praised Trump during his address and framed the Republican campaign around continuing the administration’s agenda. The crowd responded enthusiastically, at times chanting “48,” an apparent reference to Vance as a possible future 48th president. Trump, however, did not endorse a candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
Democrats as the central target
Both Trump and Vance spent substantial portions of their convention appearances criticizing Democrats.
Vance accused Democrats of taking extreme positions on immigration, policing and cultural issues. Trump similarly sought to make Democratic candidates a central focus of the midterm campaign rather than allowing the election to become solely a referendum on his administration.
That strategy comes as Republicans seek to maintain their congressional majorities in a midterm election traditionally difficult for the party holding the White House.
Trump also used the Dallas convention to promote his administration’s record and make new campaign promises, including a proposal for a $5,000 payment to American adults if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress. Congressional approval would be required for such a payment, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Campaign rhetoric grows sharper
Vance’s comments illustrate the increasingly aggressive tone of the 2026 midterm campaign.
Republican speakers at the Dallas convention repeatedly characterized Democratic candidates as radical or extreme, while Democrats have criticized the Trump administration over issues including the economy, immigration policy and the war with Iran.
Vance’s “lunatics” remark therefore fits into a broader Republican campaign strategy centered on drawing sharp contrasts with Democrats — and it also demonstrates how closely his political rhetoric now resembles Trump’s own combative style.
Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Fox News coverage of the Republican midterm convention
By NJ RADAR Team