Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance held a rally at Middletown High School Monday, just a week after former President Donald Trump tapped him as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Vance, who grew up in Middletown and featured it prominently in his controversial best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."
The book relays the struggles of Vance's family, including drug addiction, poverty and violence. It also widens those struggles to diagnose the anxieties and hardships of Appalachia — where Vance's grandparents grew up — and industrial cities like Middletown.
Following its publication in 2016, it drew both praise as an explanation of Trump's appeal to the white working class and condemnation as an overly simplified take on Appalachia and the Rust Belt.
LISTEN: Revisiting J.D. Vance's memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy'
Vance's speech was heavy on his personal connections to Middletown — including shoutouts to his favorite math teacher; local favorites Central Pastry and Milton's Donuts; and memories about his grandmother, whom he called "Mamaw." Vance told the crowd a story about how, after she died in 2005, the family discovered 19 loaded handguns among her things. The recollection drew cheers from the largely conservative crowd.
"I love this town, and I'm so grateful to be formed by it," Vance said. "My life wasn't that different than a lot of people in Middletown. It was tough, but I was surrounded by people who loved me."
'He knows our town'
Crowds lined up through the parking lot and down the street to see Vance speak.
Middletown's Frank Wolner said he's been following Vance's career since before his Senate campaign. He notes Vance grew up less than a mile from where he lives and said his vice presidential nomination is huge.
"It means a lot," he says. "He knows our town."
Maryanne Luken from Reading was at the rally with the group Bikers for Trump. She says Vance understands working class concerns.
"He is from nothing," she said. "He's dealt with addiction, with his mom. I've done that. I'm in recovery. I see and feel where he's come from, how he's beat the odds."
Vance used the second half of his speech to campaign for Trump, highlighting the former president's support of domestic oil and gas production and his opposition to trade deals with countries like Mexico and China that he says shipped jobs overseas.
"When our leadership makes dumb decisions, we know exactly who suffers," he said. "It's the people right here in this room."
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Vance also hit GOP talking points on immigration, promising to "shut down that border" with Mexico and push for more voter ID laws.
An 'inaccurate' portrayal?
Not everyone was thrilled about Vance, however. Hamilton's Michael Pillsbury was with one of several groups of Butler County residents protesting outside the rally. He says he doesn't buy the stories Vance tells in his book and his ties to working class issues.
"I feel like they're hyperbolized, perhaps," he says. "I wouldn't exactly call Middletown Appalachia. It feels like not a super-accurate portrayal."
Others protesting Vance cited his stance on issues like abortion — he's previously stated support for a federal abortion ban — and his ties to venture capitalists like billionaire Peter Thiel, who has been a big funder of the Trump campaign.
About the elephant in the room
Vance spoke briefly about the big political news of the day — the revelation 24 hours prior that President Joe Biden won't seek re-election. He claimed the Democratic Party's process was corrupt.
"This is not OK, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "Every single person who saw Joe Biden knew he wasn't capable of doing the job and they said nothing about it until he was dead weight. You don't decide who the president is with billionaires in smoke-filled rooms. You let the people decide."
Biden has said he's capable of finishing out his term and is not stepping down. He endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to be the Democratic nominee for president.
ANALYSIS: If Vance becomes VP, who might replace him in the Senate?
For the most part, however, Vance stuck to promoting Trump's campaign.
"Let's re-elect Donald Trump," he concluded to a standing ovation and big cheers. "Middletown, I love you and I wouldn't be here without you."