It was a standing-room-only crowd when Republican vice-presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance took the stage at Defender Ammunition’s handgun range in Raeford, N.C.
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It was a standing-room-only crowd when Republican vice-presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance took the stage at Defender Ammunition’s handgun range in Raeford, N.C., on Oct. 25. The venue was an unusual one, although Second Amendment supporters are intimately familiar with similar confines.
Located in the heart of Hoke County, where Democrats have long dominated, the larger-than-expected crowd felt like it reflected a growing erosion of support for the current administration. One hundred people were waiting in line two hours before Secret Service security screening began. It grew by the minute and cars were parked blocks away. By the time Vance spoke, more than 400 filled a range that might have had 10 shooting lanes. Half of the attendees sat on berms or stood. Others listened outside the gates.
