Republican Vice President nominee JD Vance strangely addressed members at a firefighters conference with the Marines motto “Semper Fi”. The running mate to Donald Trump delivered remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) on Thursday, August 29, but he was met with audible boos from the audience. This prompted him to begin his speech by saying “Semper Fi, guys?” in an attempt to calm the crowd.
Why did JD Vance use Marines motto “Semper Fi” to address firefighters?
It’s unclear why JD Vance said “Semper Fi” (short for “Semper Fidelis”) at the start of his speech, though it’s a phrase that he is used to saying as a veteran who served in the Marine Corps as a combat correspondent from 2003 to 2007.
“Semper Fi” is normally used as a greeting between past and present Marines. So it is possible that he heard someone in the crowd shout “Semper Fi” and responded to that. JD Vance then addressed the audience by saying, “Sounds like we got some fans some haters, that’s OK, let’s listen to what I have to say here, and I’ll make my pitch.”
Later in his speech, JD Vance said firefighters “are the embodiment of the American spirit.” The VP nominee then argued that he and Donald Trump represent “the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history” and how they they would be “fighting for working people.” However, the comment drew more boos from the audience.
JD Vance follows a speech that Tim Walz, the Democratic Vice President nominee, made on Wednesday. He spoke of the Democrats’ ties to unions as a critical voting block for the party and unions being an important factor for building a strong middle class.
The back-to-back speeches from the VP nominees from both parties represents a focus in the 2024 presidential election by Democrats and Republicans in courting votes from the working class with more populist rhetoric. Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers Associations President, addressed the Democratic National Convention in August, while Teamsters President Sean O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention in July.
