Milwaukee — Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance is set to deliver his first major prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, with his “America First” foreign policy positions drawing attention.
Vance was announced as former President Trump’s running mate on Monday, and since then, many politicians and media outlets, especially foreign ones, have begun to sound the alarm about his “isolationist” policies, warning that a Trump-Vance administration could go so far as to abandon Ukraine in the midst of a war with Russia.
“Trump’s VP choice worries Ukraine and EU,” the BBC headline continues, going on to quote a German politician as saying Vance is more “isolationist” and “unpredictable” than Trump.
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Senator J.D. Vance attends the first day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
The Washington Post wrote that Trump had picked “a like-minded isolationist on foreign policy”, while Politico said Vance would “mean disaster for Europe and Ukraine”.
CNN’s Van Jones described Vance as “a terror on the world stage” and warned that “Ukrainians are now in serious trouble.”
Vance says his mission in Republican convention speech is to ‘encourage the audience tonight’
When Vance speaks about his “America First” foreign policy beliefs, the focus is often on Israel and China, but also Ukraine.
Usha Chirukuri Vance, wife of Sen. J.D. Vance, as he was nominated as vice presidential candidate on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He has been a vocal critic of various foreign aid packages, including aid to Ukraine. “The problem with Ukraine … is that there is no clear end point,” he once said.
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“The United States has sent tens of billions of dollars worth of military aid to Ukraine, yet there has been remarkably little accountability for where that money is being spent,” he said in a separate statement.
Vance has made an exception to his opposition to foreign aid for Israel’s war with Hamas, and opposes “micromanaging” Israel’s military operations. He has called for Hamas to be eradicated as a military organization and for the world to “support” Israel.
Vice presidential finalist Marco Rubio arrives at the Republican National Convention praising Trump after J.D. Vance was selected as his running mate.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), attend the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
Vance’s opposition to foreign aid is largely due to his view that it distracts from the “greatest threat” the US currently faces: China.
The first-term Ohio senator’s speech is expected to be perfectly aligned with the evening’s theme, “Making America Strong Again,” and will focus on “my background and my incredible life story and how that ties into my America First policies,” according to one of his political insiders.
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Another source also told Fox that Trump’s speech will “link his own life experiences to the policies of his administration, including first-hand accounts of the tough upbringing that shaped his views on many of the big issues he is passionate about,” including “trade, immigration, ending the endless wars, fentanyl and opioids, and how inflation hits the poor the hardest.”
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
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