U.S. Vice President JD Vance returned to his home state of Ohio Friday, delivering a speech at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility—a steel plant where his grandfather worked for nearly 40 years. During the event, Vance highlighted his Rust Belt roots and criticized the Democratic Party’s current direction, referencing his father James Vance as an example of what he described as a lost political identity.
After concluding his speech at the steel plant, Vance traveled to Cincinnati and stopped at Price Hill Chili. There, he served beer and cheese coney dogs to customers while being cheered by patrons chanting “JD! JD! JD!” The visit marked Vance’s first return to Middletown since campaigning there shortly after becoming Trump’s running mate in 2024.
Vance noted during the event that his grandfather was a welder at the facility for decades, stating: “Papaw was a welder in this place for 40 years, and today his grandson stands here as the vice president of these United States.” His remarks came amid broader efforts to promote the Trump administration’s economic policies ahead of November midterm elections.
