Vice President JD Vance hit an awkward pause during a speech in Iowa after losing his place in a printed script and asking for help from the stage.
The moment happened Tuesday at a manufacturing facility in Des Moines, where Vance was campaigning for Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. Nunn’s seat is expected to be closely watched in the November midterm elections, making the stop politically important for both men.
But the speech briefly went off track when Vance appeared to struggle with the page in front of him.
“What is, uh, this… what is, uh… Zach, you’re going to have to help me out with the name here. I lost my page here. OK. Alright. OK, there we go,” Vance said in front of the crowd. “I’m on the wrong page here.”
JD Vance’s Iowa Speech Hits Awkward Pause
The stumble was brief, but it stood out because of where it happened.
Vance’s trip to Iowa marked his first visit to the state since taking office. Iowa carries major political weight because Republican voters there are expected to cast the first votes in the next GOP presidential nominating contest.
Vance, a former Ohio senator, has not said whether he plans to run for president in 2028. Still, his Iowa appearance gave local Republicans a chance to watch him up close before the next race begins in earnest.
The vice president’s stop also followed a recent Iowa appearance by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another figure often discussed in connection with 2028.
Iowa Visit Puts 2028 Questions Back In Focus
Des Moines-based Republican consultant Jimmy Centers said the next presidential race is still far off, but Iowa voters are already paying attention.
“I certainly think, as of right now, Vice President Vance would probably be a straw-poll winner of Iowa Republicans for 2028,” Centers said. “But I don’t think anyone is saying, ‘We won’t consider anybody else.’”
Vance’s office did not comment on how the trip could affect his political future.
Before arriving in Iowa, Vance stopped in Cincinnati to vote in Ohio’s primary elections. He told reporters he was backing Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race. He also commented on U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who is running in a special election to complete the remainder of Vance’s former Senate term, saying Husted would do “a great job.”
Vance also appeared in Oklahoma City for a fundraiser in his role as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
For Vance, this script stumble may fade quickly. The larger test is whether Iowa Republicans see him as a future standard-bearer, or just another Trump-era figure trying to hold the room.
