WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance urged Republicans to listen to voters frustrated with the economy after conservative commentator Jack Posobiec pressed him over the party’s support among young men ahead of the November midterm elections.
Posobiec raised the issue during an interview with Vance aboard Air Force Two that aired Thursday on Real America’s Voice. He said Republican support among young men appeared to have become “a bit tenuous” compared with two years ago.
“Yep,” Vance replied.
Posobiec then asked why some members of the MAGA movement appeared “almost hostile” when young men raised concerns about the economy and how Republicans could win those voters back.
Vance Tells Republicans to Hear Economic Concerns
Vance said Republicans need to be honest with voters about how long it could take to change economic conditions.
“First of all, you just have to be honest with people, right?” Vance said.
He argued that the Trump administration inherited problems that had accumulated over decades, adding that it should not be blaming former President Joe Biden alone.
“We inherited 40 years, not just Joe Biden, as much as I don’t like Joe Biden, but 40 years of presidents, with the exception of President Donald Trump, who were offshoring jobs, offshoring jobs, importing cheap foreign labor,” Vance said.
Vance said reversing those policies would take time.
“Like, I just think you have to level with people that if you’re trying to undo 40 years of bad policy, of globalization, of shipping American jobs overseas, it’s gonna take a little bit of time to fix that,” he said.
Vance Rejects Dismissive Response to Economic Frustration
Vance also pushed back against Republicans who dismiss complaints about the cost of everyday goods.
He pointed to Republicans who tell frustrated voters to “Shut up if you’re pissed off about a $22 burrito.”
Vance rejected that approach.
“Well, my response to those people is, ‘No. Listen to people who are upset with the state of the economy,’” he said.
He warned that ignoring those voters could create the same political disconnect Republicans have criticized in the past.
“If we don’t listen to people, we will turn into the very thing that we hate, the very thing that we ran against, the very thing that we beat,” Vance said.
Vance Says Economic Turnaround Will Take Time
Vance said the administration has made what he considers significant progress but cautioned against expecting an immediate turnaround.
“Now, do I think we’ve made incredible progress? Absolutely,” he said.
He added that Republicans need to be realistic with voters about how long it will take to rebuild the American middle class.
“I think we just have to be honest with people that, look, we’re trying to fix what was broken over 40 years. Everything is not gonna be fixed in 18 months,” Vance said.
Rather than offering a specific new policy for young men, Vance focused on how Republicans should respond when voters say the economy is not improving fast enough.
His remarks came after Posobiec directly linked economic frustration among young men to the party’s ability to retain their support.
What Polls Are Showing
Recent polling shows that economic concerns are weighing heavily on President Donald Trump’s standing with voters as the November midterm elections approach, with several surveys finding that roughly 60% to 65% of Americans believe his economic policies have made conditions worse.
The results have coincided with a decline in Trump’s approval ratings, with recent polls placing his overall standing near historic lows.
Surveys from the Pew Research Center, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and other polling organizations have found that dissatisfaction with the economy is a major concern for voters, creating a difficult political environment for Republicans heading into the midterms.
