Exclusive — Rep. Derrick Van Orden: Election Comes Down to ‘Gas, Groceries, and Grandkids’

The 2024 elections are going to come down to “gas, groceries, and grandkids,” retired U.S. Navy SEAL Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) said during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily while campaigning with Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) in Wisconsin on Monday.

“People are having difficulty filling up a gas tank and a grocery cart on the same day. And we are deeply concerned about the future for our children and grandchildren. It just wasn’t like this four years ago. It simply wasn’t,” explained Van Orden, a first-term incumbent running a close race against Democrat Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. 

“So when we focus on what is really important for Americans, it’s taking care of their families; it’s being able to go to sleep at night — not worrying if a Tren de Aragua gang member is going to break into their house, which happened here in Prairie du Chien,” he continued. 

Van Orden, whose own grandchildren live in Prairie du Chien, was referring to the 26-year-old migrant tied to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang who was arrested in September for allegedly holding a woman and her daughter in their home against their will and sexually assaulting them repeatedly. Residents of the small town have reported being fearful to let their children play outside after the brutal crime.

Van Orden has previously placed the blame squarely on the Biden-Harris administration for allowing dangerous criminals to pour over the U.S.-Mexico border.

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“We don’t want that anymore. We want to be able to have our children play in our front yards, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, [which] has less than 6,000 people in it. Americans are sick and tired. We’re going have a very good night tomorrow. President Trump is going to win,” he said. 

“I’m sick and tired of the Democrats blowing all these dog whistles, saying that we’re homophobic, and xenophobic, and this-ophobic and that-ophobic. We’re not,” he added. “We want peace and prosperity for every single American. We want every American to rise to the height that their God-given talents and their drive allow them to. Period.”