WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance plans to visit Concord on Wednesday in his first official trip to North Carolina since becoming vice president, according to White House sources familiar with his travel.

He was a frequent visitor to the state while campaigning throughout 2024.

Vance plans to use his trip to highlight what the White House says is the Trump administration’s commitment to public safety and state and local law enforcement through executive orders and the One Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law on July 4.

Those listening to his speech can expect to hear Vance talk about the Aug. 22 fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukranian refugee, on a train in Charlotte. Police charged DeCarlos Brown Jr., 34, with her death.

Zarutska’s stabbing became a political flashpoint, with Republicans blaming Democrats for “soft-on-crime policies” that left Americans unsafe.

In the past month, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, leading to a significant decrease in crime from the prior 30 days. He has since deployed the National Guard to Memphis.

Trump also signed an executive order to end cashless bail following Zarutska’s death. Brown was out of jail on a written promise to appear on a charge of misusing the 911 system. He had 14 prior arrests before being charged in Zarutska’s slaying, including armed robbery.

Vance will also talk about provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill that support public safety.

Among those provisions is the “No Tax on Overtime” for law enforcement and first responders.

It also includes $12.5 billion investment in air traffic control systems and the Federal Aviation Administration’s infrastructure to improve public safety in air travel.

The Trump administration has been focused on public safety in air travel since a crash in January killed 68 people when a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight collided just off the runway of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.

The flight crew on the airplane originated in Charlotte. Rebecca Lobach, one of the helicopter’s pilots, was from Durham.

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