J.D. Vance Booed At Firefighters Union Conference

Donald Trump’s running mate didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes at a firefighters union conference in Boston on Thursday.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance could clearly hear the boos when he took the stage in front of the International Association of Fire Fighters, a union both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are courting for an endorsement.

Vance took the tepid reception in stride.

“Sounds like we got some fans and some haters,” he quipped. “That’s okay.… I’ll make my pitch.”

Vance has been described as a new breed of ostensibly pro-labor Republican , but it was clear many of the firefighters in attendance weren’t buying it.

Trump was vehemently anti-union throughout his first term, stacking agencies with appointees hostile to labor and trying to break federal employee unions. That record has left Vance with a difficult rebranding assignment.

On Thursday, Vance praised firefighters and emergency responders for their service, drawing applause at times. He shared a personal story of calling 911 as a 12-year-old, when his mother was in the middle of what he called a “terrible, terrible addiction crisis,” and credited the first responders for calming her and the children down. He said first responders saved his mother’s life years later.

“If you ever feel like you’re not making a difference, listen to this: From the sad and tearful 12-year-old, to a 40-year-old who’s now asking to be your vice president, you do make a difference,” Vance said.

He also tried to make the case for a “pro-worker” Trump presidency.

“President Trump and I are proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history,” Vance claimed. He insisted Trump “cares for working people.”

“He’s been fighting for them for his entire life in public