Vice President JD Vance declared the modern Democratic Party the "party of hatred" during an address at a Republican convention, asserting that the party has shifted significantly from its historical roots. Vance stated that Democrats are no longer aligned with the principles of past leaders like Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy, and are now fundamentally at odds with traditional American values.
Vance's remarks, which were exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, touched upon several cultural and economic issues. He pointed to comments attributed to a Democratic candidate in Michigan who reportedly disparaged the nuclear family, which Vance argued exemplifies a broader rejection of core American principles. He also referenced his own exchanges with Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
"They're not the party of FDR or JFK. Hell, they're not even the party of Bill Clinton anymore," Vance said. "The Democrats are the party of hatred. They're the party that despises America and the people who built it."
During his speech, Vance highlighted what he described as the "birthright" of American children, encompassing the opportunity for family, meaningful work, and a prosperous future. This theme was interwoven with personal reflections on his late friend Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated a year prior on September 10. Vance noted Kirk's advocacy for young men to embrace fatherhood and family.
"I believe the Founders built this nation on a promise that echoes our Creator: That every American child is born an heir, born with a birthright," Vance stated. "Born with the right to inherit the blessings of this country. Not because of who their parents are. Not because of what they look like or where they come from. But because they are Americans."
Vance also recounted an incident where a protester disrupted his speech, waving a Mexican flag. Vance responded by suggesting the individual should relocate to Mexico if they favored it so strongly, emphasizing that the American flag symbolizes the pursuit of the American dream.
"This fall, the Democrats are running candidates who will tell your children what they're allowed to say, how they're allowed to live, and importantly, who they ought to hate. Because that's what the Democrat Party is about in 2026. It's not about you, it's about foreign fraudsters, and it's about who they hate," Vance asserted.
He criticized the economic conditions inherited from the Biden administration, citing rising housing costs and competition from immigrants in the job market. Vance also highlighted his work on a White House task force focused on fraud, stating it had identified $250 billion in fraud since his appointment as fraud czar, and criticized Democrats for what he called a refusal to prosecute such crimes.
In addressing his recent disagreements with El-Sayed, Vance shared an anecdote about El-Sayed's reaction to Vance discussing his grandfather. Vance claimed El-Sayed mockingly questioned if Vance's wife, Usha, could have met his grandfather, interpreting this as a racialized remark suggesting his wife could not have been loved by Vance's grandfather due to differing backgrounds. Vance stated that El-Sayed, having been raised by white grandparents, would understand such family bonds.