Vice President JD Vance’s Monday evening rally in Topeka, Kansas, took a turn when two hecklers interrupted his remarks supporting Republican Senator Roger Marshall. Vance was in Kansas to campaign for Marshall in his contest against Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton. The rally was not exactly a quiet gathering, as the protesters discovered that a microphone and a crowded room do not automatically turn an interruption into a winning argument.
Vance had been discussing doubts about the country’s leadership when the first protester shouted, “You’re a war criminal!” The protester continued yelling as Vance tried to resume his speech. The rest of the crowd answered with jeers and chants of “USA! USA! USA!” That is generally not the reaction hecklers are hoping for, unless their plan is to unite the room against them in record time.
Vance used the interruption to argue that Democrats are avoiding an open debate with Republican candidates.
“The thing I’ve realized, having done these rallies for the last couple of weeks, is that the only chance the Democrats have is to interrupt and shut down the debate because when we have a free and open debate, the American people will realize that all the Democrats are selling is a fat load of bullsh*t,” Vance said.
A second heckler then attempted to interrupt Vance. This time, the vice president responded with another insult before the crowd erupted in applause.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have another bullsh*t artist,” Vance said. He then added, “He’s outta here!”
The Topeka appearance was part of Vance’s effort to help Marshall hold a Senate seat that has historically been safe for Republicans. Vance had returned to Kansas for the second time since mid-September. His visit came after an earlier appearance in Montana, where he twice mispronounced the state capital, Helena, and the audience shouted out a correction.
President Trump has endorsed Marshall, but the Republican has struggled to separate himself from Hamilton in a state that Trump carried three times and won by 16 percentage points in 2024. Marshall won his first Senate campaign in 2020, when Trump was on the ballot, by 11 points. Vance praised Marshall’s leadership and framed the contest as more than a routine party matchup.
“Next week’s election, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not just red team versus blue team,” Vance said. “It’s about whether we stand for a fighter who’s always stood for the normal, everyday Americans who keep this country running.”
Vance also attacked Hamilton’s political connections, claiming the Democrat’s campaign had been shaped by Washington political figures tied to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. He pointed directly at Hamilton’s religious background while making his argument.
“Adam Hamilton says he’s a pastor and, I don’t know, I can’t possibly know what is in the man’s heart, but I do know the lawgiver in Adam Hamilton’s world. It isn’t Moses. It’s not Jesus. It’s Chuck Schumer,” Vance said.
For Vance, the hecklers became another opportunity to contrast Republican rallies with what he described as the Democrats’ approach to debate. The crowd’s response suggested the interruptions did little to derail the event and gave the vice president an easy opening to fire back.
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