In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Ohio Senator and newly declared Republican vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, focused on his own biography and economic populist views, emphasizing the importance of the Midwest's manufacturing heritage and future. However, several statements made by Vance require fact-checking to ascertain their accuracy.

One claim made by Vance was that worker wages stagnated until President Donald J. Trump took office. While it is true that wages remained stagnant for much of Vance's life, there was no sharp divide after Trump's election resulting in skyrocketing wages. In reality, a key metric for inflation-adjusted worker pay shows that median earnings for full-time wage and salary workers stagnated from the time Vance was born in 1984 until the mid-2010s. Wage growth began to increase around 2014 during Barack Obama's presidency, and continued to rise by about 4 percent during Trump's tenure.

Vance's assertion that Trump created the greatest economy in history for workers also requires examination. The unemployment rate experienced significant decreases during Trump's presidency, reaching levels not seen for five decades. However, President Joe Biden has matched or exceeded those levels since taking office. Additionally, gross domestic product (GDP) growth under Trump was similar to the final six years under his predecessor, Obama, and fell well below that of previous presidents. Wage growth and personal consumption per person also did not reach record levels under Trump.

Another claim made by Vance was that Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a trade deal that sent numerous jobs to Mexico. While it is true that Biden voted for NAFTA in 1993, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has concluded that NAFTA did not cause the massive job losses feared by critics or the significant economic gains predicted by supporters. However, specific industries in the United States were more adversely affected by the deal.

Vance also stated that Biden supported the "disastrous" invasion of Iraq while Trump was right during the war. While Biden did vote in favor of a resolution authorizing military force in Iraq in 2002, he later criticized the Bush administration's strategy. It is worth noting, however, that Trump initially expressed support for the invasion before becoming critical of it.

Lastly, Vance claimed that his family cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky is located in one of the 10 poorest counties in the entire United States. While it is true that Breathitt County, Kentucky, where Vance's family cemetery is located, is poor, there is insufficient evidence to support Vance's specific statistic. Census data shows that Breathitt County has a relatively low median household income compared to other counties in Kentucky and the nation, but we did not find data confirming that it ranks among the 10 poorest counties in the US.

Overall, it is crucial to fact-check political speeches to ensure accurate and reliable information is disseminated to the public. While Vance's personal story and economic populist views resonated with some delegates at the RNC, the accuracy of his statements regarding wages, the economy, trade, and the Iraq War should be scrutinized.