JD Vance Tells Protester With Mexican Flag to Leave Country - Newsweek
Vice President JD Vance's speech was interrupted by a protester waving a Mexican flag, which Vance said has become the "symbol of the far left."
Vance took the stage on the second day of the Republican National Committee's midterm conference shortly after 9:30 p.m., and about halfway through his speech, a protester interrupted him. The protester was waving a Mexican flag, and Vance temporarily paused his speech to acknowledge the moment.
"Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your a** over there. I'll buy you the plane ticket," Vance said.
Vance added that he had to probably change his speech because "we just discovered the symbol of the far left," which is an "idiot" waving a Mexican flag "when he should be waving the flag of the United States of America."
One attendee started screaming "get the f*** out," to the protester, according to Newsweek's Alex Rouhandeh.
Along with the Mexican flag, the protester also held up a Palestinian Authority flag.
The interruption came as Vance was delivering a speech centered on what he described as the "birthright" of American citizens, arguing that Republicans were fighting to preserve opportunities for future generations. Before the protest, he had spent much of his remarks discussing family, education, jobs and public safety, while contrasting Republican priorities with those of Democrats.
Vance praised the Trump administration for its approach to immigration and cracking down on corporations buying up houses, which has inflated housing prices and made it harder for people to afford homes.
After the protester was escorted out, Vance repeatedly returned to the incident as a broader political point. He told attendees that while the demonstrator was waving a foreign flag, Republicans would continue "to wave the American flag and fight for the American dream." He then argued that Americans must protect what he called the country's promise of "a safe home, a good school, a happy family" and "a future that is better than the past."
Vance later linked the protest to his broader criticism of Democrats and progressive activists.
"We got to send a message this November that the country does not belong to the radicals. It does not belong to the bureaucrats. It does not belong to the highest bidder," he said. "This country was handed down to us by our parents and their parents before them."
The speech repeatedly focused on immigration and border security, themes that have become central to the Trump administration and Republican midterm messaging. Vance later praised what he described as the administration's efforts to reduce illegal immigration, calling it "the first government in the last 80 years to reverse the border invasion." He also highlighted immigration while arguing that Republicans were prioritizing jobs for American citizens.
Throughout the address, Vance framed the upcoming elections as a choice between what he called "the party of common sense" and "the party of the crazies." He urged supporters to remain focused on November's contests, telling attendees that Republicans needed to "take care of business this November" before turning their attention to future political battles.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
