U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance called Democrats the “party of hatred” Thursday (September 10, 2026) and urged voters to send them packing in November’s midterms, in a prime-time convention speech that showcased him as a possible heir to Donald Trump in 2028.

The 42-year-old Vice-President was greeted by a huge roar and chants of “JD! JD!” as he took the stage at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

“This fall, the Democrats are running candidates who will tell your children what they’re allowed to say, how they’re allowed to live, and, importantly, who they ought to hate,” Mr. Vance said.

“The Democrats are the party of hatred. They’re the party that despises America and the people who built it. They’re the party that can find sympathy for the terrorists who perpetrated 9/11,” he added

Mr. Trump returned to the stage after Mr. Vance and immediately praised his Vice-President.

“I want to thank our great Vice-President. What a job he did tonight!” Mr. Trump said. “You know, the Democrats are getting nervous.”

The President promised to be brief before introducing a convention-closing music set, saying, “I’m getting a little tired of politics now.”

But he reprised familiar rally lines, attacking “radical left” Democrats and again making himself the centrepiece of the Republican midterm campaign.

“I’m not on the ticket. You’ve got to pretend I’m on the ticket,” Mr. Trump told supporters.

Republicans head into November under heavy electoral pressure.

U.S. election tracking site Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats will win the House 229-206 and has the Senate on a knife-edge at 50-50. Mr. Trump’s approval rating has languished in the low-to-mid 30s amid stubborn inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.

Mr. Trump also repeated his extraordinary promise from Wednesday (September 9, 2026) to pay every American adult a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if Republicans retain both chambers of Congress.

Family and future

Mr. Vance, meanwhile, sought to sharpen a convention-long portrayal of Democrats as extremists, arguing that disagreements within the Republican coalition were minor compared with what he called the rhetoric of the “far left.”

“I’m not asking you to agree with every policy of our administration,” Mr. Vance told the crowd.

“I’m asking you to recognise the contrast with the radicals, and the achievements of the last 18 months.”

Family and fatherhood were recurring themes as Mr. Vance sought to contrast what he described as traditional values with the political left, adding “we got to send their asses packing in November.”

He also paid tribute to conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his killing, addressing Kirk’s young children directly.

“History will record that your father was a great man,” Mr. Vance said.

Mr. Vance turned to his political opponents, accusing them of attacking the traditional family.

“To the radicals who wish to abolish my family and the thousands and millions of other families all across our country, we have a simple message for them: stay the hell away from our kids,” he said.

His speech was briefly interrupted by a protester waving a Mexican flag and shouting from the crowd.

“Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there,” Vance responded. “I’ll buy you the plane ticket.”

High-stakes gamble

Mr. Vance is widely regarded as an early front-runner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, although he has said he will not make a decision until after the midterms.

His appearance immediately before Mr. Trump’s closing remarks gave him one of the convention’s most prominent speaking slots as Republicans begin to consider their post-Trump future.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac before departing Texas, Mr. Trump praised Vance.

“I think he did very well tonight, and he’s a very talented guy. He’s a great — been a great Vice-President. I think he did a very good job,” Mr. Trump said.

The central Republican gamble remains whether Mr. Trump can mobilise voters personally loyal to him even when he is not actually running, without further alienating independents who have soured on his presidency.

Mr. Vance’s appearance added the longer-term question of whether one of Mr. Trump’s potential successors can eventually inherit the political coalition he built.

Ed Williams, a 59-year-old engineer from Dallas, told AFP that Mr. Vance had come across as “very charismatic” and hit the issues important to “the America that I want.”

“I’m considering Mr. Vance very strongly for my presidential pick in 2028,” he said, as jubilant Republicans streamed out of the convention hall and into a steamy Dallas night.

Published – September 11, 2026 11:02 pm IST

U.S. Vice President JD Vance listens to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as they attend a quadrilateral meeting between the U.S., Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar at the Lake Lucerne Summit, aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict, at Buergenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, near Stansstad, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. Secret Service responds after a person was shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument in Washington, on May 4,, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, on April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. Vice President JD Vance waves as he boards Air Force Two, after peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A drone view shows an installation representing U.S. President Donald Trump thinking about a depiction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the word “liability”, on the beach near the U.S Consulate in Tel Aviv on October 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Munich:

US Vice President JD Vance launched a withering attack Friday against European policies on immigration, populist parties and free speech, echoing President Donald Trump whom he called Washington’s “new sheriff in town”.

Vance’s speech — which focussed on key themes of Trump’s MAGA campaign — was a combative broadside at the Munich Security Conference at a time of deep transatlantic discord over Ukraine, defence, trade and other issues.

Vance stressed that Europe must “step up” in managing its own security, a key bone of contention. But he mostly lambasted the EU’s members on culture war issues.

“There is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership,” said Vance in a speech that stunned the room, and was later condemned as “unacceptable” by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

“We may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square,” said Vance. “Agree or disagree.”

Vance slammed EU “commissars” for stifling free expression and charged that “across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat”.

‘Change course’ 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had earlier made clear that what had been Berlin’s most important diplomatic relationship had sharply deteriorated since Trump returned to the White House.

“The new American administration has a very different world view to ours,” Steinmeier said. “One that has no regard for established rules, partnership and established trust.”

The German head of state urged European leaders to keep calm in the face of a blizzard of disruptive policy announcements from Washington.

“We must not freeze in fear, or as the English saying goes: Let’s not be a deer caught in the headlights.”

Vance, undeterred, in his later speech urged European countries, including conference host Germany, which faces elections on February 23, to “change course” on immigration.

His speech came a day after a 24-year-old Afghan man was arrested in Munich over a car-ramming attack that wounded 36 people.

“How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction?” he said.

“Why did this happen in the first place? It’s a terrible story but it’s one we’ve heard way too many times in Europe and unfortunately too many times in the United states as well.

“An asylum seeker, often a young man in his mid-20s already known to police, rams a car into a crowd and shatters a community.”

Defending political parties that oppose immigration and their supporters, Vance added: “No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants.”

‘Meddling’ 

Germany warned earlier Friday against foreign “meddling” in its politics after Vance called for a bigger role for Europe’s anti-immigration parties, nine days before the German general election.

Vance told the Wall Street Journal: “Unfortunately, the will of voters has been ignored by a lot of our European friends” on the issue and urged governments not to exclude anti-immigration parties.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) looks set for its best ever result of around 20 percent in the election and has received enthusiastic backing from tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk.

Vance said Germany should get used to the Tesla and SpaceX boss weighing in, just as the United States tolerated criticism by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

“If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk,” he said.

“But what German democracy, what no democracy — American, German or European — will survive is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief are invalid or unworthy.”

Vance also touched on a heated German pre-election debate around the need for mainstream political parties to maintain a so called “firewall” of non-cooperation with the AfD.

“Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters,” he said. “There’s no room for firewalls.”

Pistorius blasted Vance, saying “democracy was called into question by the US Vice President for the whole of Europe”.

“He speaks of the annihilation of democracy. And if I have understood him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes… that is not acceptable.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Munich:

US Vice President JD Vance met Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich on Friday for crunch talks on ending Russia’s war, as Kyiv insisted it wanted to hammer out a joint plan with Washington.

The sit-down in Germany was seen as a key moment for Kyiv as it seeks to keep Washington on its side after US President Donald Trump stunned allies by launching peace efforts with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

“I will meet with Russians — with only one Russian guy, with Putin — only after we will have a common plan with Trump, Europe,” Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference before seeing Vance.

“Only in this case I’m ready to meet.”

Vance in the run-up insisted the United States was prepared to pressure Russia to end its three-year war on Ukraine, as he said Europe should “of course” be at the table.

But the vice president also told Europe to “step up” on bolstering its own defence to allow Washington to focus on threats elsewhere in the world.

US officials have sent mixed messages over Washington’s strategy after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth appeared to rule out Ukraine joining NATO or retaking all of its territory.

That has sparked major worries in Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine could be forced into a bad deal that leaves the continent facing an emboldened Putin.

But Vance told the Wall Street Journal that Trump would put everything “on the table” in potential talks, and that Washington could even use “military leverage” against Russia to force a deal.

The vice president did not give more away in a keenly-awaited keynote speech, as he avoided addressing the war in Ukraine and focused instead on scolding Europe over immigration and free speech.

– Trump’s phone number –

Trump rattled US allies on Wednesday by agreeing to launch peace talks in his first publicly announced call with Putin since returning to office.

After being named by Trump as a likely venue for a meeting with Putin, Saudi Arabia said it would welcome holding any talks between the two leaders.

Zelensky appeared to play down fears that Trump was leaving Kyiv out in the cold, as he joked the US president had given him his personal number when they spoke.

“If he will choose our side, and if he will not be in the middle, I think he will pressure and he will push Putin to stop the war,” Zelensky said.

In a bid to keep Washington close Kyiv has held talks over granting access to its rare mineral deposits in return for future US security support.

– Chernobyl strike –

European allies — who along with Washington are Ukraine’s strongest backers — demanded that they too be included in negotiations that will impact their continent’s security.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that forcing Ukraine into a bad deal would harm US interests.

“I believe that by working together, we can deliver that just and lasting peace,” she said.

While Europe nervously monitors the US stance on Ukraine, there is little ambiguity on Trump’s determination to get Europe to spend more on its defence.

Fears Vance could announce a major US troop reduction in Europe did not materialise, but he repeated warnings that Washington needs to focus more on other parts of the globe.

Amid the diplomatic flurry in Munich, Zelensky said that back on the ground in Ukraine a Russian drone had struck a cover built to contain radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, adding that radiation levels were normal.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 133 drones across the country overnight — including attack drones — targeting northern regions of the country where the Chernobyl plant lies.

Zelensky said the attack was evidence that “Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Paris:

Vice President JD Vance met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, where they discussed topics of mutual interest, including how the United States can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, “reliable” US nuclear technology, confirmed an official statement from the White House.

Following the meeting, the two leaders, along with the Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance, enjoyed coffee together. Prime Minister Modi also took the opportunity to share gifts with the Vance children and wished the Vice President’s son, Vivek, a happy birthday, the White House statement added.

“Today, Vice President JD Vance met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The two leaders, along with the Second Lady of the United States Usha Vance, enjoyed coffee together and discussed topics of mutual interest, including how the United States can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, reliable US nuclear technology. Prime Minister Modi graciously shared gifts with the Vance children and wished the Vice President’s son, Vivek, a happy birthday,” the statement read.

Following the meeting, PM Modi wrote on X, “Had a wonderful meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek!”

Had a wonderful meeting with US @VP @JDVance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek! pic.twitter.com/gZpmt1jg5M

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2025

In response, US Vice President JD Vance expressed his gratitude towards PM Modi, saying, “Prime Minister Modi was gracious and kind, and our kids really enjoyed the gifts. I’m grateful to him for the wonderful conversation.”

PM Modi will visit the US on February 12-13 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders since President Trump assumed office for his second term.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Donald Trump and Melania Trump dance

| Video Credit:
The Hindu

Shortly after being sworn-in as the 47th President of the United States of America, Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump danced during the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre in Washington.

They were joined by Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. Later, Mr Trump and Mr Vance cut a large cake with swords.

Mr Trump then danced to the hit “Y.M.C.A” by 1970s disco band Village People, a staple in many of his campaign rallies.