At Philly rally, Vance, local families criticize Harris on immigration, its drug risks

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Ohio Sen. JD Vance highlighted what he called the "chaos" sown by Vice President Kamala Harris as the nation's "border czar" and its effect on American families during an afternoon rally in Philadelphia.

Vance, former President Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate, led the Tuesday afternoon rally while he and others stood before a large dark-blue banner with "Harris Chaos" written in large white block letters.

"Kamala Harris has been such a disaster as vice president of the country that everywhere she goes chaos and uncertainty follow," Vance told the crowd at the 2300 Arena in south Philadelphia.

He cited the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, chaos in the global financial markets and fentanyl decimating families and communities throughout the United States as consequences of the policies supported by and promoted by Harris as a member of the Biden-Harris administration.

"Everything that Kamala Harris touches turns into a disaster," Vance said. "We need to kick her out of the United States government, not give her a promotion."

He then enumerated ways in which he said Harris has failed as the nation's so-called "border czar" and someone who has been in charge of immigration issues at the behest of President Joe Biden.

"On day one, Kamala Harris suspended deportations. On Day one, Kamala Harris stopped the remain-in-Mexico policy that kept our country safe," Vance said. "On day one, border czar Kamala Harris stopped construction of the southern border wall, and on day one she proposed amnesty for millions of illegal aliens in this country."

He said every time Harris acted to open the nation's southern border, U.S. "families suffered."

Others criticize Harris on immigration, too

Vance then allowed a married couple and a self-described "young melanated woman" from Philadelphia to discuss how the border and immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration have harmed her family and community.

Denise and Mike Trask told the rally about how their daughter became addicted to opioids but became clean and sober until suffering a relapse.

She unknowingly bought heroin that was laced with fentanyl, they said, and died of an accidental overdose in her car in the parking lot of a Philadelphia-area shopping mall at age 26.

"Fentanyl is killing thousands and thousands of people every day," Denise Trask said.

She said the "border travesty that this current administration has neglected" has caused great harm in communities throughout the country.

South Philadelphia native Denise Briggs also addressed the audience and described how her brother became addicted to opioids and how her mother keeps Narcan in her closet in case he doesn't wake up one morning.

"I feel compelled to address the opioid crisis that's affecting our community," Briggs said. "Democrats' soft-on-crime policies have led the city I once knew to become unrecognizable."

She said there have been what she called noticeable increases in homelessness, drug addiction and murders since President Joe Biden took office.

Fentanyl is "too easily accessible" and opioids "are not racially profiled drugs," she said. "This crisis knows no demographic."

"The border crisis has led an influx of drugs coming across the border and impacting families like mine," Briggs said.

When Vance returned to the mic, he asked: "Why is it necessary? Why are they suffering?"

"The answer is because we have a leadership that is failing them," Vance said.

When later asked at the event about why he favored building a wall at the southern border, Vance said a 100-foot-high wall will stop most of the illegal crossings and significantly slow the fentanyl trafficking and other crimes coming across the border into the United States.

Vance said he recently visited the southern border and saw uninstalled pieces of border fence still on the ground because, he said, Harris ordered all wall construction to stop.

Vance spoke of his mother's prior addiction and how she recovered 10 years ago and is clean and sober today.

He said his family got a second chance, and his 7-year-old son only knows her as "the best grandmother anyone could ask for."

Vance criticizes press on Harris

Vance implored media to "show a little bit of shame"and ask Harris some "tough questions" when she visits Philadelphia later Tuesday evening.

He accused Harris of "running a basement campaign where she refuses to go before the free press and answer any questions" and said she has avoided media questions for "16 days and counting."

He said Harris should answer questions regarding why she once said she would ban fracking but now says she won't and why she wanted to defund the police but now says she doesn't.

Vance also suggested the news media ask Harris why groceries and housing are unaffordable for so many.

Vance pans Walz as Harris VP pick

When asked by a reporter about Harris' announcement of appointing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate earlier Tuesday, Vance said the appointment is because "Kamala Harris bent the knee to the far-left of the [Democratic] party."

Vance described Harris and Walz as "San Francisco-style liberals" and said they make an interesting team.

"Walz let rioters burn down Minneapolis, and Harris is the one who bailed the rioters out of jail," Vance said. "So there's an interesting team in that sense."

Harris and Walz are scheduled to attend a political rally at Temple University in Philadelphia Tuesday evening.