MESA, Arizona- At a Turning Point USA event in Mesa, Arizona, on Wednesday, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) and its founder, Charlie Kirk, took the stage to energize conservative voters ahead of the 2024 elections. In a fireside chat format, both speakers spoke on critical issues such as immigration, crime, and the economy, linking them directly to Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies.
Vance criticized Harris’s handling of immigration, emphasizing the halt on former President Donald Trump’s border wall construction on the first day of her term. He argued that this decision opened the door for cartels and drug dealers to exploit weak border enforcement. “Kamala has Trump’s border wall in her ad, yet she stopped construction on Day 1,” Vance said. He described the disastrous human toll of her policies, claiming, “320,000 kids are missing. This is the wage of Kamala Harris’s border policy.”
Vance emphasized the need to “empower border control,” reinstate the “remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, and ensure the deportation of illegal immigrants. He urged the audience to recognize that current policies are leading to family separations and trafficking rather than compassion, stating, “Kamala’s border policy isn’t compassionate—never let them tell you that.”
Kirk focused on the economic implications of the current administration’s policies, tying housing inflation in the Sunbelt to the influx of illegal immigrants. “Inflation in the Sunbelt is the highest in the country,” Kirk said, attributing it to increased competition for housing due to illegal immigration. Kirk and Vance both argued that the administration is prioritizing benefits for illegal immigrants over the needs of American citizens. “Kamala wants to give them homes, Medicare, and social security. She wants to give the American Dream to people who shouldn’t be here,” Vance claimed.
Vance linked Harris’ policies to inflation and economic challenges. “Thirty years ago, our parents could afford to buy a home. Kids were going to be educated, not indoctrinated,” he said. Both speakers praised Trump’s economic legacy, with Kirk stating, “No matter how you feel about Trump, there was a blue-collar boom, and life was better under Trump.”
Kirk and Vance also addressed crime, criticizing Harris for her role as San Francisco District Attorney, a city they claimed had been overtaken by drug dealers and cartels. Kirk brought up the fact that Harris bailed out rioters from the 2020 Minnesota unrest, many of whom had attacked police officers. “She likes to say she’s tough on crime, but she turned San Francisco into the high-crime city it is today,” Vance said.
Both speakers said that the administration’s immigration policies have worsened the drug crisis, with Vance noting that fentanyl trafficking has increased significantly due to the open border. “We’ve seen the toll of the border invasion,” Vance said, linking the rise in fentanyl deaths to Harris’s policies.
Throughout the rally, both Vance and Kirk encouraged voters to get out and vote, with Vance emphasizing the importance of not just voting themselves but also bringing others along. “Vote 10 times—take yourself and get nine friends to the polls,” he joked.
Turning Point Action launched an initiative called “Commit 100” as part of their broader “Chase the Vote” campaign to mobilize conservative voters in key battleground states like Arizona. This initiative encourages volunteers to chase 100 early ballots and 100 Election Day ballots, focusing on ensuring that low-propensity voters turn out.
One aspect of the program is that Turning Point Action offers lodging accommodations for volunteers willing to travel to participate in person. The group also provides opportunities to ballot chase remotely.
On social media, a member of Turning Point Action announced that over 500 people signed up to help the ballot chase after the Vance rally.
Today’s @TPAction_ town hall with @charliekirk11 and @JDVance was an incredible event!
500 new coalition members signed up to help us WIN in 61 days! pic.twitter.com/2nZxgsXLHU
— Alyssa Goncales (@AlyssaGoncales) September 5, 2024
The last day to register to vote is October 7. The General Election is on November 5.
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Christy Kelly is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Christy on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
