Vance hammers VP Harris at Racine rally as final week of election campaign approaches

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance rallied in Wisconsin twice Monday, Oct. 28, ahead of a busy final week before Election Day.

Vance held an evening event at Racine Memorial Hall after rallying in Wausau earlier in the afternoon.

About 1,000 people gathered as JD Vance kicked off the final homestretch of the election.

For as much time as Vance spent touting the Trump campaign's policies, he spent as much time -or more- hammering Vice President Kamala Harris.

At one point, Vance told the crowd, "Kamala Harris broke it, and Donald Trump will fix it."

Vance hammered that theme home over and over Monday at both rallies.

In both Wausau and Racine, he hit Harris over immigration, fentanyl, and health care.

But one issue loomed above them all.

Vance said, "Groceries, gas, housing became less affordable when the government prints money and spends money it doesn't have."

Democrats are touting a surging market and strong signs of economic growth, but Vance repeatedly said Wisconsinites are struggling with the economy.

Vance downplayed the racist comments from speakers at former President Trump's New York rally, despite the campaign having to distance itself Monday from those comments.

The crowd at the Racine rally was almost entirely white.

When we asked Vance about the GOP's efforts to connect with minority voters in the swing state, especially those who may have been offended by the comments in New York, he again brought the conversation back to the economy.

Vance told us, "I think a lot of Black voters that we're talking to and doing very well with, they really like the fact that we're focused on economic issues and how to empower the American people to be able to afford the American dream again."

And in a shift in strategy, Vance and other Republican speakers encouraged supporters to vote early to -in his words- "run up the score."

Vance closed by telling the crowd, of Harris, "Let's say to her in eight days, 'You're fired. Get the hell out of there. We want somebody who actually cares about America's citizens."

Vance has no further Wisconsin trips on his campaign schedule for now, though that could change very quickly as the campaign season ramps up to the end.