Vice President JD Vance questioned the work ethic of protesters who demonstrated outside his speech on Friday at a Bay City, Michigan, manufacturing plant, the Daily Caller reported.
Following a tour of the Vantage Plastic facility with U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Vance spoke on the Trump administration's goal of returning the U.S. to a manufacturing powerhouse. In his opening remarks, Vance noted that there were protesters outside the plant to greet the vice president and his staff.
"We've got this great event, this great facility, great business, and, of course, great workers. And I'm sure all of us saw there were a few protesters outside. And I can't be the only person wondering, you know: It's a little after noon on a Friday, and don't you all have jobs?" Vance said.
"I mean, who are the people? And I think that's one of the reasons why we've got to rebuild American manufacturing and support great companies like Vantage Plastics, because we want these people to get off the streets and back to work. It'd be good for them and it's be good for everybody else, too," Vance added.
Vance and Loeffler were on hand to defend President Donald Trump's economic agenda, which has come under fire since the administration implemented tariffs against China, Mexico, and Canada. Trump has said tariffs will encourage companies to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and refrain from assembling goods overseas.
"President Trump's economic policies are simple: if you invest in and create jobs in America, you'll be rewarded. We'll lower regulations and reduce taxes. But if you build outside of the United States, you're on your own," Vance posted on X earlier in the week.
Vance has endured several run-ins with protesters the past week. The hecklers in Michigan followed a Thursday night concert at the Kennedy Center where Vance was booed by many in attendance at the start of a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra. Last week, Vance was confronted by protesters while skiing in Vermont.