Two days after being named Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio introduced himself to voters, emphasizing that the pair are trying to steer the Republican Party — and the country — in a populist direction.
Vance’s speech at the Republican National Convention capped a night of Republicans going after what they see as President Joe Biden’s biggest foreign policy missteps and their consequences.
Republicans, including the former president’s 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump, also spent a lot of time trying to portray Trump’s human side.
Here are five takeaways.
Vance introduced himself and criticized Biden. Vance We talked about He grew up in rural Ohio, served in the Marines and attended Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha, and has used his populist and isolationist political leanings to attack Biden’s political career.
Softer Edges: While parts of Vance’s speech were Trumpian, he also portrayed himself as a man of the people, appealing to poor and middle-class voters across the political spectrum.
Usha Vance on stage: J.D. Vance’s wife, Usha, spoke of her husband’s background and compared it to the middle-class family life she grew up with in the suburbs of San Diego to Indian immigrant parents. In a humanizing moment, she noted that J.D. adapted to his parents’ differences.
Gold Star families slam Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal: The audience heard harsh criticism of Biden from family members of some of the 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Republican Senator at odds with Secret Service Director: Republican senators confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, hounding her through the Fiserv Forum and demanding answers to their questions about Saturday’s assassination attempt.
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