JD Vance's North Platte visit: Dan Osborn bashing, fertilizer and woman fainting incident
Vice President JD Vance held a midterm rally in North Platte on Thursday morning, endorsing Nebraska GOP candidates ahead of the elections and announcing a major investment tied to fertilizer manufacturing in the state.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is great to be in the great state of Nebraska,” Vance said.
Vance’s visit to the D&N Event Center marked the first time a sitting vice president has been to Nebraska since Mike Pence in 2019. The D&N Event Center is officially able to hold less than 1,000 people, but seats filled up quickly, and many audience members stood to the sides when seats were unavailable.
The event began with remarks from Nebraska elected officials and politicians, including Gov. Jim Pillen, who said it was an honor to have the vice president in town.
“The new narrative is true. North Platte, Lincoln County, Nebraska is a fly to state,” Pillen said.
During the rally, Vance announced an investment of $1.3 billion into two companies involved with fertilizer manufacturing in Nebraska, including Talus Ag. The investment would lead to two new manufacturing facilities. Vance said the goal is to reduce fertilizer costs while keeping production in the U.S.
“They're going to have fertilizer at a lower cost and made by American hands right here in the United States of America,” Vance said.
Rep. Adrian Smith, who represents Nebraska’s 3rd District, urged people to vote.
“The fact is, we have to get our friends and neighbors, our relatives, everyone we can possibly reach to get out there and vote,” Smith said.
While Vance endorsed Smith and Pillen, much of the rally focused on the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent Dan Osborn.
“This race for the U.S. Senate could make the difference of who controls the Senate,” Ricketts said.
Ricketts spent the majority of his speech criticizing Osborn. Vance also devoted a significant portion of his remarks to the Senate race, praising Ricketts and seeking to discredit Osborn.
“The thing that I loved about Pete is that he never forget where he came from. He loved this state. He loved its people. He loved the fact that you sent him to Washington in order to fight for you,” Vance said.
The rally took a turn during Vance’s remarks when a woman in the grandstand behind him fainted, seemingly from heat exhaustion. Medics went to check on her while he led a prayer.
“As the Lord taught us to pray. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...” Vance said.
Vance left the stage at one point and went into the grandstand area where the woman was to check on her. The woman became responsive again, and the event ended shortly afterward.
“Praise be to God. She's doing fine. She's doing fine,” Vance said.