Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance was met with some boos Thursday as he took the stage at the International Association of Fire Fighters Convention in Boston and asked the union to abandon its traditional support of Democrats.
Mr. Vance, of Ohio, spoke to the large union crowd just a day after Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. As he arrived at the podium, loud boos could be heard from some in the audience.
“Semper Fi, guys,” said a smiling Mr. Vance, citing the Marine Corps motto. “Sounds like we got some fans and some haters, that’s OK, let’s listen what I have to say here and I’ll make my pitch.”
The IAFF has yet to endorse a candidate, but endorsed President Biden in 2020. Mr. Vance thanked the union for allowing both sides of the ticket to make their case. He announced that the New York City Fire Marshals Benevolent Association endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket Thursday and urged them to do the same.
“In 2019, this union endorsed a Democrat for president with high hopes,” Mr. Vance said. “But sadly, I believe you’ve been let down.”
He was booed again when he said he and Mr. Trump “are proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history.”
“For decades unions have given support to Democratic candidates without giving Republicans much consideration, and I’m not here to judge you or to blame you or to criticize you,” Mr. Vance said. “I am here to tell you that it’s a different world now.”
He said Vice President Kamala Harris is “the latest in a long line of Democrats who come by every few years asking unions for money and promising you the moon, but often failing to deliver.”
“After supporting Democrats for so long in this union, what has it gotten you?” he asked. “Over the past 70 years, union membership in this country — and this is not a good thing — has declined.”
He said union influence has declined, and wages for union and non-union workers have not kept up with inflation.
“So I want to ask you a question that Donald Trump asked America in 2016. What the hell do you have to lose?” he said.
He got personal in his speech, talking about his mother who was a drug addict, and the multiple times he had to call emergency services when she needed help.
“And I want you to know that for us, we did get a second chance and so if you’re ever worried if you’re not making a difference, listen to this, from the sad and tearful 12-year-old to a 40-year-old who’s now asking to be your vice president — you do make a difference, you make a difference every single day and I thank you for it,” he said.
He brought up the anti-police protests from the summer of 2020, saying that “we sure as hell will not bail out the criminals like Kamala Harris did.”
“The criminals, many of whom were going after our firefighters as they tried to keep our cities safe and put out the fires. We’re going to put criminals behind bars where they belong, and we will always stand with the courageous firefighters and the first responders who keep this country safe every single day,” he said.
He said a firefighter friend of his was the reason he switched from a “never-Trumper” to a Trump supporter.
“I didn’t change my mind because of Donald Trump’s promises, I changed my mind because he did a good job for the American people,” he said.
He told the gathering, “We’re going to defend your right to free speech, including your right to speak out about unconstitutional COVID vaccine mandates imposed by the current administration. We’re going to abolish every single mandate, and we’re going to fight to rehire every firefighter who was wrongly terminated with all the back pay that they deserve.”
He also promised the administration would deliver “the equipment, the funding, the support and respect you all need to do your job,” and protect their pensions.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.