Immigration and foreign policy dominated the third day of the Republican National Convention (RNC), where Ohio Senator JD Vance highlighted his roots by accepting the nomination to be Donald Trump’s running mate.
The third day of the RNC culminated with Vance making remarks that drew a boisterous response from the rowdy crowd. While Vance has built a reputation as an attack dog, the senator has focused on his backstory, his vision for the country and the need to re-elect Trump.
Here are five takeaways from the night:
Vance steps into the spotlight
Vance made his debut as Trump’s vice presidential pick with a speech that drew on his small-town roots and Appalachian upbringing, offering himself as the running mate of the man he once referred to as “the Hitler of America”.
“Never in my wildest imagination could I have believed I would be here tonight,” Vance said after formally accepting the nod.
“I grew up in Middletown, Ohio, a small town where people spoke their minds, built with their hands, and loved their God, their family, their community, and their country with all their hearts. But it was also a place that was set aside and forgotten by the American ruling class in Washington,” he said, presenting the Trump-Vance ticket as the champion for these parts of the country.
He referenced his time in the Navy and the Senate, where he is serving his first term, but drew on moving stories of his “tough as nails” grandmother and his single mother’s struggle with addiction.
Vance also took the opportunity to praise Trump, highlighting the former president’s raised-fist moment at the Pennsylvania campaign rally, where he nearly lost his life in an assassination attempt over the weekend.
“Look at that photo of him, defiant, with his fist in the air. When Donald Trump stood up in that field in Pennsylvania, all of America stood with him,” Vance said of the moments after Trump’s decision, as the former president watched from the audience with a bandage on his ear, as he was grazed by a bullet. bullet.
“Even at his most dangerous moment, we were on his mind,” Vance said. “His instinct was for us… to call us to something higher.”
A brutal split screen for Democrats
The convention comes at a particularly good time for Republicans and very worrying for Democrats.
While the Republican Party made a concerted effort to unite behind its candidate following his near-assassination, Democrats saw their internal turmoil once again become public amid calls for President Biden to resign.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the Democratic Senate candidate in California, has become one of the most prominent members of his party to call on Biden to end his re-election bid, saying he has “serious concerns” about the incumbent’s ability. to beat Trump in the fall.
It came on the same day that an Associated Press poll showed widespread discontent with Biden, with two in three Democrats saying the president should step aside and nearly half unsure whether they have the mental capacity to be an effective president.
A new memo from a Democratic-funded research group also suggested that four prominent Democrats would outperform Biden in key swing states if they replaced him at the top of the ticket.
All of this has underscored the lingering divisions in the Democratic Party over who should lead it as Election Day quickly approaches. Meanwhile, Republicans have consistently emphasized unity among their ranks in their speeches at the RNC, although some scathing attacks on Democrats have undermined their message of unity as a nation.
Vance seemed to sum up the RNC speeches so far well when he said his message to fellow Republicans was: “We love this country and we are united to win.”
As Vance spoke, CNN reported that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) privately told Biden he cannot win and could ruin Democrats’ chances of regaining control of the House. This report, together with communicating that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) also told Biden that dropping out would be best, signaling that questions about Biden staying in the race are possibly circulating even at the highest levels of the party. (Schumer’s spokesperson called the reports about the senator “idle speculation.”)
‘Every day’ speakers criticize Biden on foreign policy
Some of the most effective speakers of the night were not politicians, but rather “ordinary Americans” who criticized Biden on foreign policy.
Between appearances by prominent Republican names, “everyday” speakers talked about how Biden’s foreign policy has led to painful personal losses for them.
Arizona ranchers Jim and Sue Chilton, whose land borders the U.S.-Mexico border for more than five miles, has sounded alarms about drug smuggling and human trafficking.
“It looks and feels like an invasion because it is,” Jim Chilton said of the border crossings he said he saw through cameras on his own ranch.
“We know firsthand that Biden’s open border is the greatest threat to our country’s national security,” he said.
Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of an American hostage in Gaza, asked “Where is the outrage?” in light of his son, Omer, and several other Americans held captive by Hamas following the October 7 attack on Israel. They said the attack was not just against Israel but against Americans, an apparent hint that the Biden administration should take more steps to free them.
And in one of the most painful moments of the night, family members of some of the 13 US service members who were killed in a bombing at Kabul airport during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 spoke about their personal losses – hitting Biden for one of his losses more serious. sensitive issues.
Speakers seek to humanize Trump
One of the recurring themes of the non-politicians who spoke was the attempt to humanize Trump as a father, grandfather and caring individual.
The speaker who received the most attention was his granddaughter, Kai Madison Trump, who is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. She called her grandfather an “inspiration” and “normal grandpa.”
“He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking,” she said as Trump was seen smiling. “He always wants to know how we are doing at school.”
Some speakers who experienced personal difficulties also thanked Trump during their speeches for the care he showed for them.
Gold Star families who spoke about Afghanistan praised Trump for expressing compassion for them. Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law was killed, said Trump spent six hours with her family.
“He allowed us to suffer. It allowed us to remember our heroes. Donald Trump knew all our children’s names,” she said.
Meanwhile, they criticized Biden for his “silence” about the government’s “failures” that allowed the incident to happen.
East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway also pointed to Trump briefly visiting his city after a train derailment spilled toxic chemicals and forced some evacuations last year. He said Biden’s visit was “scripted” but that Trump was authentic.
“[Trump] He listened to us and shared a meal with volunteers and his presence was genuine,” Conaway said.
Navarro brought down the house
Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro brought the house down when he took to the RNC podium just hours after being released from prison.
Navarro, who served a four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, entered the convention hall to a standing ovation and more than a full minute of applause.
“Yes, this morning I walked out of a federal prison in Miami,” Navarro said, prompting renewed applause.
“My name is Pedro Navarro. I went to prison so you don’t have to.
Navarro used his time at the microphone to attack Democrats for the “war” on conservatives and offer his audience ominous warnings that Democrats “will come after you.”
“If we don’t control all three branches of our government… their government will put some of us – like me and Steve Bannon in prison – and control the rest of us,” he said.
The remarks highlighted a broader message from the Republican Party that the party on the other side of the aisle is on a politically motivated warpath. Trump said he would “absolutely” rehire his former aide if he is re-elected in November.
“In Trump’s America, you didn’t have to worry about being arrested for disagreeing with the government,” Navarro said. “I went to prison so you don’t have to. I am your wake-up call.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
