Group protests JD Vance's Milwaukee visit, critical of past comments on women and Project 2025

Protesters outside Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance's Milwaukee campaign stop Friday criticized his past comments on women’s roles in families and the conservative agenda known as Project 2025 that the campaign has distanced itself from.

About 40 people chanted and held a news conference near the Milwaukee Police Association headquarters where Vance spoke and later received the union's endorsement.

“As a post-menopausal grandmother, I am appalled that he actually thinks that I’m only capable of taking care of my grandchildren,” said state Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, referencing a recently unearthed 2020 podcast interview Vance gave where he discussed grandparent roles.

During the protest, attendees chanted, “We aren’t going back” and “JD Vance you can’t hide, stop Project 2025.” Vance and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign has distanced itself from Project 2025, the conservative agenda to overhaul the federal government with close ties to Trump associates.

Protesters criticized the agenda's plan to remove civil service protections for some federal workers.

“Let’s imagine a Trump-Vance 2025 presidency,” she said. “Instead of having the protections of unions, instead of having the right of collective bargaining, instead of having civil service, Project 2025 will take away civil service protections and will allow the state to ban unions," said Stephanie Sue Stein of the League of Progressive Seniors.

Vance’s views on women’s reproductive choices and family structure came under fire.

“(Vance) has such radical views on reproductive health care that he even opposes IVF,” Sinicki said, referring to in vitro fertilization.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Group protests JD Vance's Milwaukee visit, hit Project 2025