KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration's efforts to grow manufacturing in a speech on Monday in Kansas City, Missouri.
Vance, who arrived at Kansas City International Airport aboard Air Force Two late Monday morning, toured Milbank Manufacturing before taking the stage just before 1 p.m.
"We are bringing the United States back, and it's starting right here in the great state of Missouri," Vance said.
You can watch his speech in the video player below.
Vance briefly touched on the Trump Administration’s policies not to tax tips and overtime, as well as policy changes benefiting small businesses.
“We have made it great to build in the United States of America again, investing in the United States of America once again, investing in American workers,” Vance said.
Vance spent the majority of his 33-minute speech attacking Democrats. He criticized them for not supporting the Big Beautiful Bill, which created the tax policies he says benefit manufacturing.
The event quickly took on the feel of a campaign rally. Vance promoted Republican stances on illegal immigration and cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse.
“I’m not asking you to vote for Republicans because we’re right about everything. I’m asking you to vote because at least we know who we fight for and we fight for you,” Vance said.
“It’s important for all our neighbors to know they matter,” said a protestor outside the event who didn’t want to share her name, but disagrees with Vance’s approach to immigration. “People hiding in their homes because they’re scared. That’s not ok.”
Most of the speakers, including Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe and U.S. Representative Mark Alford (R - 4th District), promoted a newly drawn congressional map making it easier to elect seven Republicans to represent Missouri in Washington, D.C. Currently, Republicans hold six seats.
The redistricting battle is facing several legal challenges and has led to confusion about which map is in effect and how it will affect the midterm elections.
In a moment encapsulating the confusion, Vance and Alford each referred to the manufacturing plant as being in different congressional districts.
Vance thanked Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for promoting the map as a group opposed to the map filed a new lawsuit Monday against Hoskins, accusing him of pressuring election leaders to use the new map.
Vance never brought up the war in Iran or gas prices, which would not do much to rally support among supporters.
He also mostly steered clear of tariffs, which was a key part of the administration’s strategy to bring manufacturing back to the United States.
The Tax Foundation, a nonprofit, non-partisan tax policy analyzer, estimates the tariff policy will cost the average American household $700 in 2026.
“We struggle a little bit, we’re both semi-retired and going back to work,” admitted Ray Hunter, who voted for Trump in 2024.
He’s still optimistic that the administration’s policies will trickle down to benefit him and his 15 grandchildren.
Kansas City-based trade organizations did give the federal government credit for helping private companies add about 120,000 jobs in April. That beat expectations, but was less than March’s number.
Now, these groups want stability when it comes to tariff policy.
“The up and the down and changes in pricing has been difficult," said Katherine O’Toole of the National Tooling and Machining Association in Kansas City. "We are looking for continued reliability and decision-making that sticks."
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