Vice President JD Vance used a major Republican rally in Florida to launch pointed attacks against Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon and gubernatorial nominee David Jolly as the GOP ramps up its push ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Vance appeared Thursday before thousands of supporters packed inside a hangar at Lakeland Linder International Airport, campaigning alongside Republican Sen. Ashley Moody and GOP gubernatorial nominee Rep. Byron Donalds.
The vice president urged Republicans to turn out on Nov. 3 while portraying the state’s two major Democratic candidates as sharply at odds with Florida voters.
Vance reserved some of his strongest language for Nixon, a state representative from Jacksonville who is challenging Moody for the Senate seat.
He introduced Nixon as a “self-described socialist” and pointed to her past association with the Democratic Socialists of America.
“When Angie Nixon calls herself a socialist, I think the right response is to say, ‘Then get the hell out of here,’” Vance told the crowd. “You don’t belong in America if those are your views.”
JD Vance on Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon:
“Get the hell out of here. You don’t belong in America.” pic.twitter.com/2CulaxMuyd
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 2, 2026
Vance also attacked Nixon over her positions on policing and criminal justice and criticized the selection of books available through Cafe Resistance, the Jacksonville bookstore she founded.
He urged Republicans to tell other voters about Nixon’s record as they work to keep Moody in the Senate.
“This Nov. 3, I want you to send a message,” Vance said. “Send a message to the media, send a message to the Democrats.”
In an interview with CBS Miami airing Sunday, Nixon disputed Vance’s description of her as a socialist.
“I don’t consider myself a socialist,” Nixon said. “I consider myself a lifelong Democrat who puts people over party, people over politics, and people over profit.”
That said, Nixon acknowledged joining the Democratic Socialists of America earlier this year but said she does not agree with all of the organization’s positions — which is a hard sell to critics who, in turn, have asked why she joined the DSA in the first place.
Vance then turned his attention to Jolly, a former Republican congressman who left the GOP and is now running as the Democratic nominee for governor against Donalds.
The vice president mocked Jolly’s professional background, saying he had never held a “real job” and highlighting his work as a television political commentator.
Jolly once worked for longtime Republican Rep. Bill Young for more than a decade, became a lobbyist and served in the U.S. House representing Florida’s 13th Congressional District from 2014 until 2017 before becoming a television commentator.
But Jolly left the Republican Party in 2018 and later became a Democrat.
Vance accused Jolly of repeatedly changing political positions.
“The thing about David Jolly is he’ll say anything to stay relevant,” Vance said. “He flips and flops in the wind.”
Vance joked that if Donalds defeats Jolly, Floridians could help the Democrat launch a podcast “with all of 19 listeners.”
“He is desperate to rule over you,” Vance said. “He’s desperate to control you. He is desperate to have a job where he gets to tell you how to live your life.”
The Lakeland rally brought together several prominent Florida Republicans.
Moody traveled to Florida aboard Air Force Two with Vance, while Donalds greeted the vice president after his arrival.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and other Republican elected officials also appeared at the event.
Moody is running to retain the Senate seat she was appointed to in January 2025 after Marco Rubio left the chamber to become secretary of state.
Donalds, meanwhile, is seeking to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The rally was part of Vance’s broader midterm campaign schedule as the Trump administration deploys senior officials to support Republican candidates around the country.
Vance repeatedly returned to turnout during his remarks, telling supporters that Florida Republicans could use the election to deliver a broader political message.
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