US Vice-President JD Vance returned to his Ohio hometown on Friday to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of November's midterm elections, using the steel plant where his grandfather worked for nearly four decades as the backdrop for an appeal to working-class voters.

Speaking at Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works on 21 August, Vance recalled his family's ties to the plant and portrayed the Trump administration's economic and trade policies as an attempt to reverse decades of industrial decline.

“Papaw was a welder in this place for 40 years, and today his grandson stands here as the vice president of these United States. It’s an amazing thing,” Vance said.

The plant, formerly known as Armco Steel, featured prominently in Vance's 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which chronicled his upbringing in Middletown and his family's roots in Kentucky. His grandfather, James Vance, worked there for nearly 40 years.

Vance used the appearance to promote Republican candidates and argue that President Donald Trump's immigration and trade policies were protecting American manufacturing.

He also acknowledged voters' concerns about the cost of living, saying the administration still had “a lot of work to do” and that improvements would not happen overnight. He argued that Trump was attempting to reverse what he called “40 years of American decline”.

The administration's tariff policies have themselves contributed to higher consumer prices, according to the Congressional Budget Office, as import taxes raise costs for foreign goods and some domestically produced alternatives.

Vance also attacked Democrats, portraying the party as having abandoned the working-class voters who supported it during his grandfather's generation.

His visit comes as Republicans face a difficult political environment ahead of the 3 November elections.

Trump's approval rating fell to 33% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from 14 to 17 August, the lowest of his current presidency. Sixty-four per cent of respondents disapproved of his performance.

Economic concerns and the prolonged US conflict with Iran have weighed on the administration. The same poll found Democrats held a narrow advantage among voters asked which party would better handle the economy, while 80% of Americans expected US involvement in Iran to continue for an extended period.

Republicans are defending a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, while Democrats increasingly see opportunities to compete for control of the Senate.

The Ohio appearance also keeps Vance in national view ahead of the 2028 presidential election. He has not formally announced a campaign to succeed Trump, and his visit on Friday was focused on Republican candidates in this year's elections.

In Ohio, Vance appeared alongside Republican figures including Senator Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. AP reported that he is expected to increase his schedule of public appearances and political fundraisers as the midterms approach.

After the steel plant event, Vance made stops at businesses in Middletown and Cincinnati, including a restaurant where he served customers food and beer.