US President Donald Trump said that Republicans who do not vote in the November 3 midterm congressional elections “will go to hell.”
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This came during a speech delivered by Trump on Thursday, at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.
Trump asked the participants to chant a slogan about voting, saying: “I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States (meaning himself), I will gather my friends and family and we will vote on November 3rd or we will vote before then.”
After the audience chanted slogans affirming that they would vote, Trump said: “Do you know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell.”
Americans are preparing for the midterm congressional elections, and on November 3 they will head to the polls to choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives, along with about one-third of the members of the Senate.
Vance describes the Democrats as a “party of hate”.
For his part, US Vice President JD Vance launched a sharp attack on the Democrats on Thursday, describing them as a “party of hate,” calling on voters to remove them from power in the midterm elections scheduled for November, and presenting himself as a possible successor to Donald Trump in 2028.
The 42-year-old vice president was greeted with enthusiastic applause and chants of “JD! JD!” as he took to the stage at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Vance said: “This fall, the Democrats will put forward candidates who will tell your children what they are allowed to say, how they are allowed to live, and, most importantly, who they should hate.”
Vance added: “The Democrats are the party of hate. They are the party that despises America and the people who built it, and the party that can find sympathy for the terrorists who carried out the September 11 attacks.”
Trump took to the podium to praise his vice president, saying, “I want to thank the great vice president. What a performance he had tonight,” adding, “You know the Democrats are starting to get worried.”
The Republicans are approaching November while under intense electoral pressure.
The website “Decision Desk HQ”, which specializes in tracking US elections, predicted that the Democrats would win 229 seats in the House of Representatives compared to 206 for the Republicans, while indicating a tie between the two parties in the Senate.
In contrast, Trump’s approval ratings have remained stagnant at low to mid-30s levels, amid persistently high inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.
Trump reiterated his promise from Wednesday to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress.
Family
During the conference, the Democrats were portrayed as a group of “extremists,” and Vance reinforced this image, stressing that the disagreements within the Republican coalition were a minor problem compared to what he described as “the rhetoric of the extreme left.”
He continued, addressing the crowds: “I don’t ask you to support all of our administration’s policies, but what I ask of you is to understand the difference between us and the radicals and what we have accomplished during the past 18 months.”
In his speech, Vance also referred to the concepts of family and parenthood more than once, in an attempt to show the difference between what he described as the traditional values defended by his party on the one hand, and the political left on the other, stressing: “We must overthrow them in November.”
The Vice President also paid tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his assassination, addressing his young children by saying: “History will remember that your father was a great man.”
In parallel, Vance accused his political opponents of launching an attack on the concept of the traditional family, saying: “To the radicals who want to abolish my family and thousands and millions of other families across our country, our message to you is simple: stay away from our children.”
A protester carrying a Mexican flag and shouting among the crowd interrupted Vance's speech, to which Vance replied: "Well, my friend, if you love Mexico that much, then go there... I'll buy you a plane ticket."
Betting on Vans
Many see Vance as the frontrunner for the Republican Party's nomination for the 2028 presidential election. However, the vice president stressed that he would not make his decision until after the midterm elections.
Vance spoke just before Trump’s closing remarks, giving his speech particular significance at a time when Republicans were beginning to plan for a post-Trump era.
Speaking to reporters on the airport tarmac before leaving Texas, Trump praised Vance,
saying: “He did a very good job tonight. He’s a talented man… and he’s done an excellent job as vice president.”
The challenge lies in determining whether Trump can rally the support of voters who are personally loyal to him even when he is not participating in the election race, without marginalizing the independent voices that have grown during his term.
Observers are questioning the ability of any of Trump's potential successors to continue leading the political coalition that the president built.
Ed Williams, a 59-year-old engineer from Dallas, said Vance's appearance was characterized by "high charisma," noting that he addressed important issues for building "the America I aspire to."
As the enthusiastic audience left the conference hall, he added: “I am seriously considering choosing Vance as my presidential candidate in the 2028 election.”
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