(MILWAUKEE, W.I.) — Day 3 of the Republican National Convention features the prime-time debut of J.D. Vance introducing himself both to Republicans and Americans nationwide.
He’ll speak to the delegates as Donald Trump is again expected at the convention hall to watch his running mate make his national debut.
Tonight’s theme at the RNC is “Make America Strong Once Again.”
JD Vance delivers keynote address
Ohio Sen. JD Vance delivered his first speech as Trump’s running mate, speaking at length about the former president, including the assassination attempt over the weekend.
“As we meet tonight, we cannot forget that this evening could have been so much different,” he started. “Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning.”
He urged people to watch the footage of the shooting to get a sense of Trump’s character.
“When Donald Trump rose to his feet in that Pennsylvania field, all of America stood with him,” he said.
Vance said the Trump he has gotten to know is tough, “but he cares about people.”
“He can stand defiant against an assassin one moment and call for national healing the next,” he said.
He said he is “humbled” and “overwhelmed with gratitude” to officially accept the Republican nomination for vice president and his message to the party is: “We love this country and we are united to win.”
Vance got in a few jabs at Biden. He referred to the president as a career politician who, when Vance was in the fourth grade, supported NAFTA, “a bad trade deal that sent countless jobs to Mexico.”
He said Biden’s economy has given Americans an “inflation crisis.”
He said America needs a leader who “answers to the working man” and “won’t sell out to multinational corporations, but will stand up for American companies and American industries.”
“President Trump represents America’s last, best hope to restore what it lost and may never be found again,” he said.
Trump’s vision, Vance said, is “so simple yet so powerful.”
“We are done catering to Wall Street. We will commit to the working man,” he said. “We are done importing foreign labor. We are going to fight for American citizens and their good jobs and their good wages.”
“We are done buying energy from countries that hate us. We are going to get it right here from American workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio and across the country,” he continued.
If elected, he said he will be a vice president who “never forgets where he came from.”
“I pledge to every American, no matter your party, I will give you everything I have, to serve you, and to make this country a place where every dream you have for yourself, your family and your country will be possible once again,” he said toward the end of his speech.
People leaving as Vance continues speaking
Vance is still speaking, but many people are leaving their seats and moving around, some exiting the arena altogether..
Crowd cheers for Vance’s mother and her sobriety
In his speech, JD Vance touched on being raised by his grandmother as his mother struggled with addiction.
“I’m proud to say that tonight my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober,” he said, as the crowd gave his mother a standing ovation and chanted, “JD’s mom.”
Crowd engaged, but a little flat as Vance speaks
At times, the crowd joined into chants of “Joe must go” or “memaw” — but they’re not as enthusiastic as they’ve been other times this convention, despite the arena being a packed house tonight.
Many people remain seated as he speaks, even some the delegates on the floor.
As Vance criticizes Biden, crowd says ‘Joe must go’
As Vance went after Biden as a “career politician” and slammed his support for various trade deals over the years, the crowd joined in a “Joe must go” chant.
“I agree,” Vance said.
What to know about Usha Chilukuri Vance
Usha Chilukuri Vance, J.D. Vance’s wife, is expected to introduce her husband as makes his first speech since being named Donald Trump’s running mate.
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Chilukuri Vance is an experienced lawyer who has worked for major judicial figures, during her career.
She previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when he sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Judge Amul Thapar, when he was U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Chilukuri Vance worked at the firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen, until Monday when she resigned from her position, not long after Vance was named Trump’s vice presidential pick.
The couple met while they were students at Yale University Law and married in 2014. They have three children.
-ABC News’ Leah Sarnoff and Katherine Faulders
Usha Vance touts husband before his big speech
Usha Chilukuri Vance was the penultimate speaker of the night and talked personally about their relationship and his work in the Senate.
Chilukuri Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants, talked about how despite their differences she and her husband approached those differences with “curiosity and enthusiasm.”
“Before I knew it, he had become an integral part of my family. A person I could not imagine living without. The JD I knew then is the same JD you see today. Except for that beard,” she said to a laughing crowd.
“It is safe to say that neither JD nor I expected to find ourselves in this position. But it is hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream,” Chilukuri Vance added as the crowd changed “JD.”
“I am grateful to all of you for the trust you have placed in him and in our family,” Chilukuri Vance said.
Crowd on their feet as JD Vance takes the stage
As Usha Vance introduced her husband, attendees rose out of their seats to give the vice presidential nominee a standing ovation as he walked out to the song “America First.”
This is the biggest speech of Vance’s life
Vance is about to speak in primetime at the RNC, live on all three big networks as well as cable news. The stakes are high, as this is the first impression many Americans will have of him. According to a recent YouGov poll, 43 percent of Americans don’t have an opinion of Vance — probably because many of them are hearing about him for the very first time. This speech will be step one in (he hopes) building a positive reputation for himself.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Donald Trump Jr.: ‘On Nov. 5, we will fight with our vote’
After introducing his daughter, Kai Trump, at the RNC, Donald Trump Jr. praised the teen for her “incredible work” then said, “Now back to business.”
He began his speech addressing the assassination attempt on Trump at Saturday’s rally.
“Just days ago, something that once seemed unimaginable became a terrifying reality,” he said. “My father came under literal fire as an incredible patriotic rally turned into a tragedy. On a field in Butler, Pennsylvania, a brave firefighter died, others were injured, and as those bullets rained down, we came millimeters away from one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history.”
He then went after the Biden administration.
“Remember ‘Build Back Better?’ Instead, we got broke, bumbling Biden,” he said. “Nothing is built, nothing is back, and nothing is better. Bridges are collapsing, our credibility is crumbling and our money is worth less and less every single day.”
With a photo of Trump with his fist raised at the rally following the shooting on display, Donald Trump Jr. led the crowd in a chant of “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“And we will fight. We will fight. We will fight with our voices. We will fight with our ideas and on Nov. 5, we will fight with our vote,” he said, positing the election as a choice between “America first” and “America last.”
Vance doesn’t give Trump a geographic boost
The conventional wisdom is that presidential candidates should pick running mates who will give them a boost in a key swing state. But Trump didn’t do that: Vance is from Ohio, a state that used to be pivotal in presidential elections but has now become pretty reliably Republican. (Trump won it by 8 points in 2020 even as Biden was winning nationwide by a healthy margin.)
Was that a missed opportunity for Trump? Probably not: It turns out that vice-presidential candidates barely matter. Historically, they have been worth about 1 additional percentage point in their home state — if that — and don’t make a difference in other states. So while Vance might be worth a few extra votes in Ohio, his selection is unlikely to move the needle even in neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan and probably won’t affect the election outcome.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Multiple senators chase down, jeer Secret Service director at RNC
Multiple Republican senators chased down U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after they spotted her at the RNC on Wednesday.
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn was one of the senators and shared a video of the confrontation on her X page, where she accused Cheatle of “stonewalling” them as she refused to respond to their repeated jeers.
“This was an assassination — you owe the people answers, you owe President Trump answers,” Blackburn can be heard saying in the video.
Multiple sources, who verified the authenticity of the video, told ABC News that the Secret Service director was on the suite level of the convention hall.
Blackburn was joined by Sens. John Barrasso, James Lankford and Kevin Cramer in confronting the director at the convention. Their move is unprecedented.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Katherine Faulders
Trump grandchild Kai Trump addresses RNC
Kai Trump, the eldest granddaughter of Trump, took to the RNC to, as she put it, to “share the side of my grandpa that people don’t often see.”
“He gives us candy and soda when our parents are not looking,” she said, as Trump looked attentively on smiling.
“He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going and tells me all about his. But then I have to remind him that I’m in school and I will have to call him back later,” she said. “When we play golf together, if I’m not on his team, he will try to get inside of my head. And he is always surprised that I don’t let him get to me. But I have to remind him, I’m a Trump, too.”
Kai, 17, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., addressed Trump’s legal troubles, saying, “Even when he is going through all of these court cases, he always asks me how I’m doing.”
She said she was “shocked” to hear about Saturday’s assassination attempt.
“It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person,” she said. “A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell and he’s still standing. Grandpa, you are such an inspiration and I love you.”
‘Kai 2040,’ attendee shouts
After Trump’s eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, spoke at the RNC, her father Donald Trump Jr. commended her for speaking in such a large crowd.
“Kai 2040,” someone yelled.
“Thank you, sir,” Trump Jr. responded with a laugh.
Crowd emotional, rises to their feet for D-Day vet
D-Day veteran William Pekrul’s speech had some attendees wiping tears from their eyes and or raising their hands in appreciation.
Several times, the crowd stood up to cheer “USA” as he discussed his service.
Fiserv Forum packed ahead of JD Vance’s speech
The convention center is the most crowded it has been all week as attendees wait to hear from their vice presidential nominee.
For the first time, the upper level is filled with people and nearly every seat with an unobstructed view of the stage has been taken.
‘Bring them home’ chant as parents of hostage speak out
The crowd chanted “Bring them home” as the parents of Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli hostage in Gaza who was kidnapped on Oct. 7, walked out onto the convention stage.
“He turned 22 on Oct. 14, 2023, and instead of celebrating with us and with his friends, he spent his birthday as a hostage of Hamas terrorists,” his mother, Orna Neutra, said. “Imagine, over nine months not knowing whether your son is alive, waking up every morning praying that he, too, is still waking up every morning, that he is strong and is surviving.”
Orna and her husband, Ronen Neutra, wore shirts emblazoned with their son’s face on it.
“During the brutal October attack on Israel, over 1,200 people, of them, 45 were American citizens. Where’s the outrage? Where is it?” Ronen Neutra asked the crowd.
“Right here,” some in the crowd yelled.
“This is not merely an attack on Israel. This was and remains an attack on Americans,” Ronen Neutra said.
Jewish Harvard student speaks out against campus protests
Shabbos Kestenbaum, an Orthodox Jewish Harvard student who is suing the school over its handling of the anti-Israel protests, slammed the far-left, contending they have “not only abandoned the Jewish people, but the American people.”
Kestenbaum talked about the harassment he has experienced on campus and the lack of accountability from school leaders.
“I found myself immersed in a culture that is anti-western, that is anti-American and that is anti-Semitic,” he claimed.
Kestenbaum pushed people to vote for Trump arguing his policies would “expel foreign students who violate our laws, harass our Jewish class mates and desecrate our freedom.”
Spotlight on UNC students who protected American flag during campus protest
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill fraternity brothers, who helped protect the American flag after it was briefly replaced with a Palestinian flag during protests on the campus in April, appeared at the convention.
They carried out American flags while country artist Brian Kelley and the Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ Choir performed the song “American Spirit.” One of the fraternity brothers addressed the crowd, saying they were all “proud to honor our flag again.”
Trump encourages voting by mail for the third straight night
This is the third consecutive night the RNC has played a prerecorded video by Trump encouraging Republicans to use every voting method at their disposal — including voting by mail, which he has previously attacked — to vote in November.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
‘I got lucky,’ Trump tells supporters of shooting in PBS-obtained clip
In a video of Trump’s appearance during the screening of the movie “Trump’s Rescue Mission: Saving America” on Wednesday that was obtained by PBS News, the former president touched on the effects of his assassination attempt.
“I got lucky, God was with me,” he said in the clip.
“That was an amazing, horrible thing,” Trump said. “Amazing thing, and in many ways it changes your attitude, your viewpoint towards life. And honestly I think you appreciate God even more.”
Trump said it “wasn’t like it was a complete miss.”
“It was pretty terrible that that can happen,” he said.
At the beginning of the clip, Trump said, “this has been our best campaign and then I got shot. … How does that happen?” as the crowd cheered, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Gold Star Afghanistan families talk about Trump’s support
Families of soldiers who died during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, some of whom were holding pictures of their relatives, took the stage.
Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Sgt. Nicole Leeann, said Trump spent six hours with her and other family members in Bedminster, New Jersey.
“I had expected to meet an arrogant politician. Instead, I met a man who had empathy for us. He was compassionate and he spent time with us because he knew it would make us feel better,” Shamblin said.
Alicia Lopez, the mother of Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez, held back tears as she said the Biden administration have not “owned up to their failures.” She said Biden never said her son’s name.
“There has been a deafening silence from the Biden-Harris administration,” Lopez said.
Her husband, Herman Lopez, read the names of the soldiers who died in the waning days of the war.
Florida Rep. Michael Waltz, military vet, addresses crowd
Florida Rep. Michael Waltz, the first Green Beret ever elected to Congress, was the latest elected military veteran to address the RNC on Wednesday night.
“Folks, we have deployed all over the Middle East, all over Africa, all over Afghanistan, and I have never in my lifetime seen the world falling apart like it is under Joe Biden,” he began. “And that’s because under President Trump, we had a president who defeated ISIS, broke Iran, stood with Israel, always stood with our allies, made China pay.”
He called Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan a “debacle” and “stain on our national conscience.”
Afghanistan was when it all turned south for Biden
Multiple speakers tonight have taken President Joe Biden to task for his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Well, Americans agreed with their assessment: In an Aug. 13-16, 2021, poll from Morning Consult/Politico, only 31 percent of voters approved of Biden’s handling of the situation. Even worse for Biden, the withdrawal was the event that really seemed to catalyze the collapse in his approval rating. On Aug. 15, 2021, the day the Taliban returned to power, Biden’s net approval rating was +8 points in the 538 average. But by Sept. 3, his disapproval rating was higher than his approval rating, which has been true every day since.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Kimberly Guilfoyle fires up crowd
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former 2020 campaign staffer and Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, got the crowd fired up in her speech on the floor.
Guilfoyle claimed that under President Joe Biden, the country “is more dangerous, vulnerable and impoverished than anyone had thought possible.”
“We are closer to World War III than any time in my life,” Guilfoyle said.
She said Republicans would “restore an era of national pride where freedom of speech is respected and cancel culture is ended, [and] where high school girls only compete with other girls, not biological men.”
2 veterans address RNC
Two veterans billed by the RNC as “everyday Americans” addressed what they saw as failings of the Biden administration.
Sgt. David Bellavia, a Medal of Honor recipient who served in Fallujah, Iraq, argued that Biden has demoralized America’s military.
“Military recruitment has plunged. Confidence in the armed forces has reached a 20-year low,” he said. “Under President Donald Trump, our enemies will know that American power is as decisive as it is overwhelming.”
Scott Neil, a Green Beret veteran, criticized Biden over the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“We want to prove that America remains the land of opportunity for those brave enough to reach out and grab it. But tragically, almost three years ago, my fellow veterans and I recoiled at the bloody anarchy of President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he said, with the crowd booing. “We saw weakness and chaos. We saw 13 of our brothers and sisters lose their lives.”
Trump arrives at convention
Trump has walked out on the convention floor to the James Brown song “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”
He is wearing a bandage on his ear again and is raising his fist as the crowd cheers.
Seen in the VIP box with Trump are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and others.
‘180 from Saturday’: PA mayor on rally shooting, RNC
Jondavid Longo, the mayor of Slippery Rock in Butler County, Pennsylvania, was in the front row when the attempted assassination attempt against Trump took place on Saturday.
Now, he is at the Republican National Convention.
“What a 180 from Saturday,” he told ABC News Digital of the convention’s atmosphere. “And I think this is what we’re all, we’re looking forward to having on Saturday, and that was stolen from us, of course. But this right here shows you that the party is resolved, the base is ready to go and deliver Pennsylvania for Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance.”
He said tomorrow he wants to hear Trump “project strength.”
“But I know that’s what he’s going to do. He projected strength on that stage that day, I saw him wrangle his arms from the Secret Service and raise his fist like that. He let us know, ‘We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.'”
-ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler
Conway on Trump: ‘This is a man I know’
Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump’s campaign manager in 2016 and one of his longest-serving aides, said she got to know Trump in a “foxhole.” She said he had a long record of promoting women and signature qualities of “strength and toughness.”
“We don’t get those policies without that personality,” Conway said.
“We win through addition, not division,” she added, encouraging Republicans to reach out and expand their tent.
Gov. Burgum focuses on energy
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a one-time presidential hopeful and a top candidate for Trump’s running mate, largely focused on energy during his speech.
“Who will make America energy dominant?” Burgum asked, as the crowd shouted in response, “Trump!”
Burgum said Trump “champions innovation over regulation” and will “make sure that America is selling energy to our allies versus buying it from our adversaries.”
During his speech, some attendees could be seen waving signs that said, “American oil from American soil.”
East Palestine mayor praises Trump’s support after toxic train derailment
East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway took the stage, praising the first responders who rushed to help after a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed last year.
He criticized the federal response, claiming the Biden administration “talked and talked, but they delivered little help.”
Conaway went after Biden for not visiting the town in the immediate aftermath and praised Trump for coming to the town less than three weeks after the incident.
“I know a thing or two about train wrecks now and let me tell you, that is what the Biden administration has been,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News anchor David Muir in February 2023, Biden said he “made it clear” to officials on the ground that “anything they need, we’ll make it available to them.”
The comments came after East Palestine’s mayor called it a “slap in the face” that Biden traveled to Ukraine while his town felt forgotten in the weeks after the crisis. Biden went to East Palestine a year later.
Immigration is tonight’s most animating theme
The title for this session is “Make America Strong Again,” with speeches centered on foreign policy and national security.
Speakers have discussed China, Russia and energy policy.
But immigration, specifically border security, has stoked the most audience reaction — with attendees often waving “Mass Deportation Now!” signs.
“Send them back!” chants started as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about bussing migrants to Democratic cities.
Abbott says Trump will secure border
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott touted President Trump’s border policies and his own as the largest border state governor in the country. The governor received a raucous reception at the RNC.
He defended his orders that the Texas National Guard install razor wire across parts of the Texas border and his policy of bussing migrants out of Texas and north. (A narrowly divided Supreme Court in January sided with the Biden administration in a tense, ongoing dispute over the Texas-Mexico border and razor wire fencing installed by the state that had prohibited federal border agents from performing their duties.)
“The president’s most sacred duty is to secure our country,” Abbott said. “Joe Biden deserted his duty,” the governor argued.
“It is time to restore order at the border, to rid our streets of crime and chaos; it is time to secure our nation by returning Donald Trump as president of the United States of America,” he said.
‘Build that wall’ chants break out
As Jim and Sue Chilton took to the stage to talk about their experience as Arizona ranchers operating near the border, chants of “build that wall” erupted in the arena.
Building a border wall from coast to coast was a key priority for Trump in his first term, though he implemented just roughly 450 miles of barriers — much of which was upgrading existing barriers that already existed.
Fact check on immigration, border issues
Republicans have been bashing the Biden administration’s immigration policies, arguing that more undocumented immigrants have been entering the country.
Last month, Biden issued an executive action that limits the number of migrants who can claim asylum between ports of entry at the southern U.S. border.
Since then, the number of encounters at the southern border have decreased by more than 50%, according to government data.
The Department of Homeland Security said it removed and returned more than 50,000 individuals to more than 100 countries since the new rule went into effect.
Border Patrol agents made roughly 83,536 migrant apprehensions in between ports of entry at the southern border in June, the lowest since January 2021, according to government data.
-ABC News’ Mireya Villarreal
More attendees seen with bandaged ears
On the third night of the convention, more RNC attendees are seen sporting bandages on their ears — a nod to the one Trump had on his ear that was struck in the assassination attempt during his appearances over the past two nights.
Trump was seen wearing a bandage while walking on the convention stage earlier Wednesday as well. He is expected to appear at the convention later tonight.
Peter Navarro, newly released from prison, greeted with loud applause
Peter Navarro, Trump’s former White House trade adviser, was greeted with loud applause as he took to the stage hours after he was released from federal prison upon completing his sentence on contempt of Congress charges.
Navarro served four months in a low security facility in Miami for defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6. congressional committee.
“I’ve got a very simple message for you. If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump — be careful, they will come for you,” he told the crowd.
“If we don’t control our government, their government will control us,” he continued.
Navarro said the “D.C. swamp” jailed him “but did not break me,” as the crowd chanted “Fight, fight, fight.”
“They will never break Donald Trump,” he said.
Navarro called himself a “wake-up call,” adding, “I went to prison so you don’t have to.”
Gingrich says Trump embraces Reagan principles
Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who ushered in “The Contract with America” conservatism, tried to square Trump’s brand of Republicanism with Reagan’s.
Trump “understands that when faced with multiple adversaries across the globe, the Reagan principle of peace through strength is the only road for safety in America for the American people,” he said.
Gingrich’s attack line: “We have to remember that the greatest threat to American safety is not Biden’s brain. The greatest threat is Biden’s policies, and the people he appoints to implement them.”
–ABC’s Jacob Steinberg
Gaetz cheered as he blasts Democrats, touts Trump’s policies
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz took the stage and did not waste time laying into the Democrats and Biden over their policies.
He received loud applause from the crowd for his zingers that included a jab at New Jersey Sen. Bob Menedez, who was convicted this week on bribery charges.
“Under Biden-Harris, inflation has gotten so bad you can no longer bribe Democrat senators with cash alone,” he said. “You have to use gold bars just so that it holds value.”
The crowd also laughed when Gaetz claimed under Trump that there “were only two genders.”
Gaetz is currently the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct allegations but did not mention the probe during his speech. He has denied all of the allegations.
Gaetz thanked the crowd for “having his back.”
Mace says Trump is the right candidate to project strength against China
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace cited her military school education in backing Trump’s candidacy.
“25 years ago, this high school dropout became the first woman to graduate from the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina,” she said.
Mace, the daughter of a brigadier general, said Trump will project military strength and “be prepared to take on the challenges of this historic moment,” citing what she said was the threat from China.
Mace also told the convention she was a rape survivor and a single mom. “To women tonight who can relate,” she said, “you have a friend and a sister in me. And I will fight like hell for you.”
Mace has not always been in Trump’s corner. Once a vocal critic, Mace had former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s endorsement in 2022 and received financial contributions from PACs linked to top GOP leaders as she faced a primary opponent endorsed by the former president.
Since then, the roles have been reversed: Trump enthusiastically backed Mace after she endorsed him in the state’s presidential primary over Haley, and McCarthy has sought revenge for Mace’s vote to oust him from the speakership. Mace handedly won her primary.
-ABC’s Brittany Shepherd and Chris Boccia
Florida Rep. Brian Mast calls Biden administration ‘woke weaklings’
Florida Rep. Brian Mast, a veteran who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan, criticized what he called the Biden administration’s “adherence to left-wing political ideology.”
“I’m not here to sugarcoat it. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have once again weakened our armed forces and through inflation slashed the size of our military budget,” he said. “At the same time, they distracted our troops with millions of hours of so-called extremism training and then base promotions on adherence to left-wing political ideology rather than merit.”
He claimed the administration would “rather lose a war than use the wrong pronouns.”
“Donald Trump knows that our military needs warriors and not woke weaklings lecturing our warriors,” he said.
Mast also criticized Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“With his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden delivered what President Trump rightly called the most embarrassing day in American history,” Mast said.
‘Mass Deportation Now!’ signs being passed out
As the third night gets underway, with a national security and foreign policy theme, new signs are being given to attendees that read, “Mass Deportation Now!”
Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation in U.S. history if reelected, targeting millions of immigrants living in the country without legal permission.
‘A party’ and ‘best thing since toast and butter’
First-time convention attendees are sharing their thoughts on the experience so far.
“It’s been like a just like a big party,” an alternate from Texas, clad in the state delegation’s uniform of an American flag shirt and cowboy hat, told ABC News Digital.
“It’s just amazing,” said another Texas attendee. “It’s fantastic and if you’re if you’re a political goober kind of like I am, it’s the best thing since toast and butter.”
What delegates want to hear from JD Vance tonight
Outside the convention center, two delegates spoke with ABC News Digital about what they want to hear when J.D. Vance gives his first speech since being tapped as Trump’s running mate.
“I don’t know him very well,” said one delegate from New Jersey. “I mean, we all know that he was maybe not a fan of President Trump’s, which makes it even more interesting, right? But I do think he has the same values.”
“That’s what we will want to hear tonight, that he has our values that he is going to, you know, that he’s going to follow through on those values and when he is only the Vice President, but we’re looking forward to four years from now,” she said.
Another delegate from California said she was more familiar with Vance, having previously read his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”
“He’s young, he’s smart and he knows what he’s doing. He has a great compelling story, grew up in poverty, made it to the American dream. What could be more better than that?” she said.
-ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler
Kai Trump prepares for speech
Kai Trump, the granddaughter of Trump, was seen on stage at the RNC on Wednesday afternoon preparing for her speech later tonight.
The teen is slated to address the RNC at 9 p.m. CT/10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the same night as her father, Donald Trump Jr.
Learn more about the eldest of Trump’s 10 grandchildren here.
Trump takes a walk around RNC stage
Trump arrived at the RNC Wednesday afternoon and walked around the stage in preparation of his acceptance speech slated for Thursday.
He spent nearly five minutes practicing his entrance, pointing at the teleprompter, and adjusting his stance. He was joined by an entourage of campaign staff.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh
Vance says he’ll ‘make the case’ to put Trump back in White House in RNC speech
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance spoke at a fundraiser Wednesday afternoon where he gave a preview of what he will say during his speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.
“Now we’re going to get out there and try to fire up the crowd tonight and make the case, a very easy case to make, but an important case to make that we have got to reelect President Donald J. Trump to the White House,” Vance said.
Vance said that he will talk about the attempted assassination of Trump and how he has not wavered.
“He keeps on persevering. He keeps on fighting. President Trump has taken everything that they’ve thrown at him, and he’s come out stronger, and the country has come out better for his service.”
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Harris accepts 3rd date option offered by CBS for VP debate
Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday accepted a third date option proposed by CBS News for a vice-presidential debate, a Biden campaign official said.
The new proposed date is for Monday, Aug. 12, according to the Biden campaign.
“Now that the Trump campaign has selected a running mate, we encourage them to agree to a debate between Vice President Harris and Senator Vance,” the campaign official said.
On May 16, CBS News offered two debate date options on either July 23 (the week after the RNC) or Aug. 13 (the week before the DNC), which Harris accepted at the time.
The next day Trump accepted a Fox News proposal for his eventual running mate — who we now know is Vance.
“On behalf of the future Vice President of the United States, who I have not yet chosen, we hereby accept the Fox Vice Presidential Debate, hopefully at Virginia State University, the first Historically Black College or University to host a Debate – Date to be determined,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time. “I urge Vice President Kamala Harris to agree to this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Fox News’ VP debate offer was for the same dates CBS News originally offered.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Kai Trump, Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter, expected to speak tonight at RNC
Kai Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and granddaughter of former President Donald Trump, is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night at 9 p.m. CT/10 p.m. ET, she posted on her social media account.
“I am honored to be speaking at the RNC at 9 pm (CDT),” she posted with a photo of the former president and Sen. J.D. Vance.
Kai Trump, the 17-year-old daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa Trump, is the eldest of Trump’s 10 grandchildren.
Over the weekend, she posted a photo of the former president pumping his fist after being shot at his Pennsylvania campaign rally, writing: “We love you Grandpa. Never stop fighting!”
In June, she posted a photo of herself with Donald Trump at what appears to be a Turning Point Action event in Detroit, Michigan.
-ABC News Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Vance’s first fundraiser as VP today
Sen. J.D. Vance is scheduled to hold his first fundraiser as former President Donald Trump’s running mate Wednesday afternoon, sources familiar with the event told ABC News.
And Trump and Vance are scheduled to hold a roundtable-style fundraiser together Thursday afternoon, sources said.
This isn’t Vance’s first time fundraising alongside Trump. As then-possible vice presidential contender, Vance had joined the former president on multiple Trump campaign fundraisers — including hosting fundraisers in Ohio and attending other fundraisers at a special guest speaker.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Trump to attend RNC tonight
Trump will attend the RNC events Wednesday evening — as he has the previous two days.
The former president is expected to enter the arena around the same time as Tuesday night — around 8:02 p.m. CT.
The last two days, Trump, with a bandaged ear, has entered Fiserv Forum to cheers from his supporters and chants of “fight, fight, fight” as he pumps his fist in the air — a callback to his response shortly after an assassination attempt on him at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh
Wisconsin voters speak on Trump, Biden and America’s divisions in wake of shooting
It had been less than 48 hours since the attempted assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, and for four Wisconsin voters, it was yet another sign of how divided the nation has become.
Valori Schmidt, a Republican living in Milwaukee, described the shooting at the former president’s Pennsylvania rally as a “wake-up call.”
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise because the climate of hatred has escalated to such a high level,” Schmidt said. “The wake up call is we must take the temperature down. We must become more civil, and we must start being factual and not not name calling and just saying awful things about one another.”
Next to her, Gary Berns, a fellow Milwaukeean who votes Democratic, replied: “I can’t disagree with that.”
Berns and Schmidt, joined by other local residents Julie Buckholt and Charlene Abughrin, sat down with ABC News at Miss Katie’s Diner just as the Republican National Convention was kicking off in their hometown.
“As far as the loudness and the anger calling, I mean he brings that on himself,” Berns said of Trump. Schmidt later countered that Trump, “has been vilified as a Hitler, as an anti-American, as an extremist … it’s been nonstop from all aspects.”
-ABC’s Alexandra Hutzler
Tonight’s theme is ‘Make America Strong Once Again’
The RNC says speakers today with focus on “Chinese Military and Economic Threats, Border Security, Energy Security and Securing the Peace/Restoring America’s Place in the World Israel.”
Featured speakers include: Peter Navarro, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Kellyanne Conway, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Reps. Nancy Mace, Brian Mast, Ronny Jackson, Matt Gaetz, Monica De La Cruz, Anna Paulina Luna, and Michael Waltz.
Peter Navarro set to speak after release from prison
Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro will speak at the RNC tonight just hours after being released from federal prison in Miami this morning, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Navarro’s release date for serving time after being convicted on contempt of Congress charges was previously set for today, and according to a source, he left prison this morning.
He served four months in a low-security facility.
-ABC’s Katherine Faulders
JD Vance to introduce himself to voters
Donald Trump’s running mate – the 39-year-old first-term senator from Ohio – gets his chance in the national spotlight when he makes a prime-time speech at the RNC.
J.D. Vance can be expected to tell his personal story of growing up in Middletown, Ohio, and the upbringing that inspired him to write his best-seller “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Even with that, he is largely an unfamiliar face to many Americans – even to Republicans – including those in the convention hall.
Trump can again be expected to be watching from his presidential box.
Vance will be introduced by his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, after strong Vance- backer Donald Trump Jr. speaks right before.
-ABC’s Soorin Kim
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