JD Vance was interrupted by a protester carrying a Mexican flag as he addressed the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Thursday night.
The vice-president was one of the final two speakers at the first-ever Republican midterm convention, taking the stage at the American Airlines Center before President Donald Trump delivered the closing address.
The protester disrupted Vance’s speech as he spoke to Republican supporters. Vance responded by telling the person to leave for Mexico, prompting a sustained show of approval from the crowd.
The incident came during a convention designed to rally Republican voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, with control of both the House of Representatives and Senate at stake.
Trump appeared at the event on both nights and used his address on Wednesday to urge supporters to treat the election as a referendum on his presidency, despite not being on the ballot.
Vance’s appearance was also closely watched as he took the prime-time slot immediately before Trump, amid growing speculation over the Republican Party’s direction beyond the current administration.
The Republican National Committee described the Dallas gathering as the first midterm convention in the party’s history. Organisers said it was intended to showcase the administration’s record and support candidates in key congressional races.
