I mean it’s getting under trumps skin because he isn’t interested in valid criticisms and only understands schoolyard level insults.
It’s working as a message on the general public even more so because Vance and Trump’s messaging has gotten further from the original populism and more focused on an in group or his qult or whatever.
I don’t think “weird” is working in the sense of having any marked impact on racism
Russian military bases are visible on google maps and Ukrainian troops have been training in nato countries since close to the beginning of the war