Vice President JD Vance rallies in Des Moines for Rep. Zach Nunn, attacks Democrats on immigration, trade and fraud

DES MOINES, Iowa — Vice President JD Vance, campaigning with U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn at a Des Moines manufacturing facility, urged voters to send leaders to Washington who "fight for you," praised local manufacturing and farming, and repeated allegations of widespread fraud in federal benefit programs.

Vance, introduced by Nunn, told several hundred attendees that Washington must protect American industry and farmers. "If you're building right here in Iowa ... you deserve a tax cut," he said, tying tax and trade policy to local jobs. Nunn, the event host, highlighted the factory on site and warned of intellectual-property theft and "dumping" of competing products from China that he said threatened Iowa manufacturers.

The vice president emphasized trade tools and tariffs as responses to foreign competition and called for broader adoption of policies he said help Iowa producers, including support for nationwide E15 fuel access. "We're working on it every single day," Vance said, urging passage of measures he credited to the administration and the Iowa delegation.

Vance also described the administration's effort to detect and punish fraud in federal benefit programs. He cited figures attributed to his fraud task force, saying "355,000 people on SNAP benefits [were] receiving double benefits" and that "186,000 dead people [were] getting SNAP benefits." He said his team had served subpoenas and worked with the Department of Justice to pursue investigations, describing enforcement actions in a suburban Minneapolis program he said had been taken advantage of. The vice president said states were required to confirm eligibility to receive federal funds, and he portrayed withholding funds as a lever to force audits.

Neither Nunn nor Vance presented source documents for the numerical counts cited during the event, and no responses from state officials or the Department of Justice were offered onstage. The claims made about SNAP and other program fraud were presented as the administration's findings; their verification status was not resolved in the remarks.

The pair repeatedly cast their remarks in partisan terms, criticizing congressional Democrats for priorities they said did not align with Iowa families. Vance singled out social issues and immigration as examples, and he contrasted those topics with economic measures he advocated. "Do we want somebody who votes to give your money to illegal aliens? No," Vance asked the crowd during a series of rhetorical questions.

Nunn framed the visit as part of work on the farm bill and rural policy initiatives, crediting the Iowa delegation with advancing rural broadband, disaster protections and housing provisions. He also thanked state officials in attendance.

Both speakers referenced meeting Gold Star families during arrivals in Des Moines; Vance closed with a call to "earn" the sacrifices of service members by electing officials who, he said, will prioritize veterans and families.

The event was a campaign appearance; no formal votes or policy actions were taken onstage. Next steps implied by the speakers include continued legislative pushes for E15 expansion and anti-fraud enforcement, and the speakers urged attendees to support Nunn's re-election bid.