PoliticsJ.D. Vance Faces Sparse, Disengaged Crowd at North Carolina Rally for Michael Whatley
J.D. Vance's speech went viral for all of the wrong reasons.
Sept. 22 2026, Published 11:10 a.m. ET
Vice President drew a paltry crowd of roughly 300 people to a 3,000-capacity Greensboro, N.C., convention center while campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley.
Attendees appeared largely disengaged, and Fox News ultimately cut away from its live broadcast of the event as Republicans face tightening 2026 midterm stakes in the state.
Vance’s speech focused heavily on framing the critical 2026 midterm Senate race as a fight for President Donald Trump’s increasingly unpopular agenda. During his 30-minute address, Vance urged voters to back Whatley.
J.D. Vance spoke to a crowd of roughly 300 people at a 3,000-capacity venue.
Whatley has encountered persistent questions and outside attack ads regarding his connection to Harvey West Jr., a local GOP volunteer and committee member who was convicted in 2000 of “indecent liberties with a child.”
West served as chairman of the party’s 1st Congressional District and was appointed to a party plan of organization committee during Whatley's tenure as state GOP chair.
Whatley denied hiring or directly appointing West to these roles, saying West was a long-standing local volunteer elected by district members and that West had actually opposed Whatley's run for state party chair. West subsequently resigned from his party posts as the issue drew public attention.
J.D. Vance's Speech Slip-Up
J.D. Vance attacked former Gov. Roy Cooper while campaigning for Michael Whatley..
As Vance attacked Whatley’s opponent, former Gov. Roy Cooper, the speech's most viral moment came when Vance misspoke while attacking Democrats.
He stated, "Because we need somebody who will actually fight back against the 'fart left,' we need Michael Whatley in the United States Senate.”
Vance caught himself immediately, jokingly telling the crowd it was an accident. He anticipated social media reactions by adding, "So to the fake news who will accuse me of bad language, I promise I did not mean to call them the fart left; I meant to call them the far-left.”
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At the gathering, J.D. Vance accidentally used said 'the fart-left' instead of far-left.
The most shocking aspect of Vance’s speech was the fact that Fox News anchor Sandra Smith cut away from the live feed and informed viewers that the network would only return to the Greensboro broadcast if Vance "starts to make news.”
The Daily Beast called Vance’s rally a “humiliation,” as the least popular veep in history faced a disengaged crowd during a key campaign stop.
The publication highlighted that his remarks labeling Democratic opponents as "radicals" failed to energize the audience, resulting in a flat delivery in a critical battleground state.
J.D. Vance's Approval Rating Has Sunk
Data showed that J.D. Vance is even more unpopular than Sarah Palin.
Vance, who is likely ramping up a 2028 presidential run, is historically the most unpopular vice president at this stage of office since modern polling began.
Data analysts have reported that Vance’s net approval rating has plummeted to -18 percent, a record 21-point drop since the start of his term.
This follows a trend that began during his 2024 campaign, when FiveThirtyEight tracking data showed he entered office as the least popular non-incumbent vice-presidential nominee since 1980, even trailing historically disliked nominees such as Sarah Palin.
