Two weeks ahead of Election Day, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance rallied supporters in Arizona, a key battleground state, urging them to bring friends to the polls as the race remains highly competitive.
“Let me give you a scenario, and I don’t want to scare you, but I will,” Vance told the crowd in Peoria. “Imagine waking up on November 6th to find Kamala Harris has narrowly won the presidency by just 700 votes here in Arizona. Think about that and ask yourself what you can do between now and then to prevent it.”
Vance’s visit to Arizona on Tuesday included a stop in Peoria, part of the greater Phoenix area, with plans to visit Tucson later that day. Donald Trump is also set to hold a rally in the state on Thursday. Meanwhile, Democrats are bringing out high-profile surrogates like former President Bill Clinton and current President Joe Biden as the November 5th election draws near.
Recent polls show a tight race in Arizona, with Trump holding a slight edge over Harris. The state flipped blue in 2020 in a surprise win for Biden, making it a key focus for both parties this year.
At the rally, Vance emphasized the importance of putting in the effort over the next two weeks to bring Arizona back into the Republican column. “We need to work our rear ends off,” he declared, urging supporters to help secure the state for Trump.
Vance jokingly suggested that each person should “vote 10 times” by bringing nine friends to the polls, acknowledging that the media might spin his comment as an endorsement of voter fraud. His message was to maximize turnout in a race that could come down to a few votes.
When asked about the challenge of swaying undecided voters given that many Arizonans have already cast their ballots, Vance agreed but noted that there are still enough voters on the fence to impact the outcome. “You don’t have to agree with everything I or Donald Trump says,” he told the audience. “But who can argue with the results?”
He cited issues like rising housing costs, inflation, and border security as reasons why Arizonans were better off during Trump’s presidency. Vance also criticized Harris for “softball interviews” and her record as vice president, expressing sympathy for Tim Walz, the Democratic running mate, who he said is stuck defending Harris’s performance.
Despite previous criticisms of early and mail-in voting, Vance encouraged voters to use any method available to them. “Whether it’s early voting, mail-in voting, or voting on Election Day, we need to take advantage of every opportunity,” he said, stressing the importance of making their voices heard.
Vance did not commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election in Arizona, citing concerns over printer malfunctions during the 2022 election in Maricopa County. He noted that an investigation attributed the issue to thicker paper that stressed the printers but maintained, “Whether it was incompetence or something else, it’s unacceptable.” He added that the campaign is in a stronger position in Arizona now than it was in 2020.
