J.D. Vance gives energizing speech third night of the RNC

MILWAUKEE — Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the GOP’s 2024 vice presidential candidate, echoed Donald Trump’s calls for unity in an energizing speech Wednesday night.

“We have a big tent in this party — everything from national security to economic policy — but my message to you, my fellow Republicans, is we love this country and we are united to win,” Vance said in his first speech since Trump announced him as his running mate Monday afternoon.

On the third day of the Republican National Convention, Vance officially accepted the party’s nomination to be vice president, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, who chanted “J.D.” in response.

The 39-year-old talked about growing up in Middletown, a city between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and being raised by his grandmother while his mom struggled with addiction. He went to The Ohio State University after serving in the Marines and went on to Yale Law School. He wrote the bestselling book, “Hillbilly Elegy” about Appalachia. He said he lived the American Dream

He outlined what the Republican Party’s movement is about, saying it includes single mothers, grandparents living on Social Security, factory workers in Wisconsin, autoworkers in Michigan and energy workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

A spirited crowd cheered on the first-term Ohio senator, sending forward multiple chants, from “J.D.’s mom” to “mamaw” and “U.S.A.”

Vance wrapped up his speech pledging to give everything he has to serve the country and to be a vice president who “never forgets where he came from.”

The Republican National Convention is taking place during a critical time in political history. President Joe Biden is still receiving calls from members of his party to step down and make way for a new Democratic nominee after concerns spread about his ability to serve another four-year term.

The convention, which began Monday, is taking place just days before the attempted assassination against Trump, who narrowly missed a bullet to the head from a shooter during a Pennsylvania rally. The incident shook the former president, who appeared the first night of the convention wearing a bandage on his ear, emotional to the supportive cheers from the crowd.

Usha Chilukuri Vance, a lawyer and Yale law grad, introduced her husband, telling the story of how they met in Yale Law School.

Big names like Donald Trump Jr., North Dakota Gov. and 2024 presidential candidate Doug Burgum, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, took the stage Wednesday night, which centered on the theme “Make America Strong Once Again.”

Families whose military children were killed during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan were featured, receiving strong support from the crowd. Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard graduate who is suing the university over alleged anti-semitism, and University of North Carolina fraternity brothers who protected the American flag during a campus protest also appeared Wednesday.

Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump also took the stage, sharing grandfatherly stories of the former president. She said he sneaks his grandkids candy and soda when her parents weren’t looking, and she said he calls her during the school day to ask about her golf game.

Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to a debate with him, however the Trump campaign declined for the time being, citing the possibility of a shift in the Democratic ticket.

“We don’t know who the Democrat nominee for Vice President is going to be, so we can’t lock in a date before their convention,” said Trump campaign Senior Advisor Brian Hughes in a statement. “To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate.”

Biden remains committed to the race, however, and the Democratic Party is backing him publicly as their candidate. The president was visiting Las Vegas this week but cut his trip short after testing positive for COVID-19.

The first-term Ohio senator has a strong anti-abortion background, once saying it was the first political issue he cared about. He opposed a ballot question to enshrine abortion in the Ohio constitution, which passed with 56 percent of the vote.

Regarding the economy, Vance has advocated for higher taxes on corporations and increasing the minimum wage.

Vance has followed in the footsteps of Trump and made false claims the 2020 election was stolen. He also said he would have taken a different approach than former Vice President Mike Pence did after the election.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.