J.D. Vance formally accepted the Republican nomination for vice president on Wednesday, making a deliberate and sometimes controversial pitch for Donald Trump’s reelection in November.
Vance, the Ohio congressman, addressed delegates in Milwaukee on the third night of the convention, portraying Republicans as champions of working-class Americans and accusing Democrats of being out of touch with reality. The populist rhetoric was the latest sign that Trump is reshaping the Republican Party and rejecting much of its traditional conservatism.
“From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnant wages, those who have governed this country have repeatedly failed,” Vance told an ecstatic audience. “That was, of course, until a man named Donald J. Trump came along. President Trump represents America’s last, best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again.”
Vance reinforced his message by drawing on his own personal experiences, which he first shared in his best-selling and controversial autobiography, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He introduced himself to a large audience of Americans for the first time, recounting his experiences growing up in poverty in Middletown, Ohio, and how he was later accepted into Yale Law School. In a moving moment, Vance greeted his mother, who was in the crowd, and congratulated her for being 10 years drug-free after a decades-long struggle with addiction.
Citing battleground states that could decide the election outcome, he vowed that a Trump-Vance administration would bring economic opportunity to working-class communities.
“Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and every corner of this country, I promise you: I will be a vice president who never forgets where I come from,” Vance said. “And every day for the next four years, when I walk into the White House to help President Trump, I will do it for you, for your families, for your future, and for this great country.”
Democrats have mocked Vance’s attempts to appeal to working Americans, accusing him of supporting “economic policies that give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations while putting more strain on American families.”
Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler added, “J.D. Vance is unprepared, unqualified and will do whatever Donald Trump asks of him.”
In his speech, Vance joined many Republican lawmakers in condemning Saturday’s assassination attempt on President Trump. He urged Americans to unite in the face of violence, even as he criticized Democrats who have previously criticized Trump.
“I want people across America to look at the video of the would-be assassin coming within a quarter of an inch of taking their life,” Vance said. “Think of the lies they’ve told about Donald Trump, and then look at the picture of him with his fist raised and defiant. When Trump stood up on that field in Pennsylvania, people across America stood with him.”
In another sign of Trump’s hijacking of the Republican Party, Vance reiterated the former president’s “America First” stance on foreign policy. Since joining the Senate last year, Vance has become one of the most vocal critics of U.S. aid to Ukraine and has spoken out in increasingly isolationist terms.
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“Together, we will work to ensure that our allies share the burden of ensuring world peace. No more free riding,” Vance said. “We will put the American people first, regardless of the color of their skin. And that means we will Make America Great Again.”
Vance’s choice Restless Trump voiced support for Republican lawmakers who support a more active American role on the world stage, and the speech highlighted how Trump’s reelection could fundamentally change America’s relationships with its European allies at a critical time. One senior European diplomat told the Guardian that Trump’s choice of running mate was “terrible news” for Ukraine, adding:[Vance] They are not our allies.”
While acknowledging ideological differences within the party, Vance urged Republicans to engage in vigorous debate on major policy issues.
“Shouldn’t we be governed by a party that isn’t afraid to debate and find the best solutions?” Vance said. “That’s what the next four years of the Republican Party will be: a party united in love of this country, committed to free speech and the free exchange of ideas.”
Voters will decide in November whether Republicans really have a chance to stay in power for another four years.
