Vice President JD Vance drew an awkward silence at a packed Des Moines rally on 5 May 2026 after losing his place in his speech and asking Rep. Zach Nunn to remind him of his own Democratic opponent's name.
Vance made his first visit to Iowa as vice president for an event at Ex-Guard Industries, a manufacturing facility that produces grille guards for pickup and semi-trucks, in a midterm push to secure Nunn's competitive seat in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District.
The rally, officially billed as a White House address to American workers, drew several hundred supporters according to NBC News, with long queues forming well before doors opened at 2:30 PM. Vance used the platform to make the case for Trump-era trade and agriculture policy, though his delivery stumbled in full view of the crowd in a moment that quickly circulated on social media.
Vance Freezes Mid-Speech Over Nunn Rival's Name
The most-discussed moment of the evening came as Vance was mid-sentence, describing administration efforts to expand year-round E15 ethanol sales, when he stopped and stared blankly at his notes. He had been working up to name Sarah Trone Garriott, the Iowa state senator and Nunn's expected Democratic challenger in November, but could not locate her in his prepared remarks.
'Zach, you're going to have to help me out with her name,' Vance said from the stage, according to Raw Story. 'I lost my page.' An awkward silence fell over the crowd before he added: 'Ok. Alright,' as he shuffled through his papers.
Vance is confused as he reads off his speech:
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) May 5, 2026
What is uhh.. this... What is uhhh.... Zach, you're gonna have to help me out with her name here. I lost my page here. Okay, alright. Okay there we go. Sarah Trone Garriott. I- I- I'm- I'm- I'm on the wrong page here pic.twitter.com/RKmnWYTGF2
The moment was recorded and widely shared, with a clip embedded in Raw Story's report and flagged on social media. Vance had also spoken moments earlier about farmers facing high fertiliser costs and framed those pressures in part around the ongoing Iran conflict, saying the administration would 'take care of some business on the foreign policy side' while simultaneously working with Nunn to address supply issues.
Neither Nunn nor Garriott faces a primary challenger ahead of the 2 June primary. Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the name Vance was reaching for Garriott is, by his own party's acknowledgement, someone worth naming in the first place: her race against Nunn is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
E15 and Farm Policy at the Centre of Iowa's Republican Pitch
Beyond the gaffe, Vance's core message centred on expanding year-round access to E15, a fuel blend with a 15 per cent ethanol content that Iowa's corn farmers see as a key demand lever. Advocates attended the event in branded hats and shirts, and Nunn told the crowd that the House would vote on a year-round E15 bill the following week, per KCRG's reporting on the event.
Vance told supporters at Ex-Guard Industries that the administration wants to ensure Iowa farmers 'get access to the products they need' while trade policy is in flux. He also pointed to the facility itself, founded in 2009, Vance said, as a symbol of domestic manufacturing under pressure from Chinese imports, stating that foreign competitors had been 'dumping goods, undercutting the wages of the workers of this factory.'
WATCH 👀- The room was so dead you could hear JD Vance clapping straight into the microphone.
— DonkConnects ♻️™ (@donkoclock) May 5, 2026
Des Moines, Iowa was NOT feeling it!
Zero Buzz. Zero excitement. Total embarrassment 📽️🔥 pic.twitter.com/H5sXEqG6P6
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who also spoke at the event, told the crowd that 'the Trump Vance administration has been the strongest ever on biofuels,' per KCRG. Nunn added that progress on biofuel legislation had already been made in a bipartisan fashion, though E15 language was notably absent from the final version of the farm bill that Congress passed.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was quick to respond. Spokesperson Katie Smith said in a statement cited by NBC News: 'JD Vance's visit to Iowa's Third District today is a reminder that Zach Nunn has become just another D.C. politician who prioritises rolling out the red carpet for his fellow D.C. politicians over working for Iowa families.'
Vance's 2028 Ambitions Cast a Long Shadow Over Des Moines
Vance's Iowa trip carried weight well beyond November's ballot. Iowa hosts the Republican Party's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, and several speakers on the day gestured openly at the possibility of future visits. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird told the crowd: 'You are absolutely invited to every single part of Iowa. We'd all like to see you,' per NBC News.
Attendees who spoke to NBC News made little secret of their presidential interest in Vance. April Melton, chair of the Black Hawk County GOP, said she would 'absolutely' support a Vance 2028 run, describing him as 'young' with 'a young family to bring to the White House.' Republican political consultant Jimmy Centers, based in Des Moines, told NBC News that Vance would 'probably be a straw-poll winner of Iowa Republicans for 2028,' while noting that voters remain open to other candidates.
Vance was also emotional during the event, referencing a brief meeting with two Gold Star families from Iowa upon landing in Des Moines, accompanied by his six-year-old son. His remarks touched on the Iran conflict and the weight of military service, drawing a personal thread through an otherwise campaign-focused appearance.
With Iowa's 3rd District rated a toss-up and the 2026 midterms sharpening into focus, the embarrassment of a lost page is unlikely to be the detail Republicans remember come November — but it will not be forgotten either.
