Washington — Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance accepted the GOP’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday, capping the Third day of the Republican National Convention with a speech that sought to remind the party that it is a “big tent” with the common goal of a prosperous nation for generations to come.
Vance’s speech marked his first official appearance as Trump’s running mate and provided a platform for to present oneself to the nation as the 2024 White House race enters its final months. The former president watched Vance’s speech from his box at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
“Tonight, Mr. President, I am here, humbled and filled with gratitude, to say that I formally accept your nomination as Vice President of the United States of America,” he said.
Elected to represent Ohio in the Senate in 2022, Vance told the audience about his childhood in small-town Ohio and paid tribute to his grandmother, whom he called Mamaw, who raised Vance while his mother struggled with drug addiction. Vance’s mother, Beverly Aikins, attended the speech and sat next to House Speaker Mike Johnson in the box reserved for family and friends. She received a standing ovation from Trump and those in the arena.
Tracing his rise from Appalachia to his enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps after 9/11, then his studies at Yale Law School and his run for the Senate, Vance said he understood the country’s need for a leader who “fights for the people who built this country.”
“President Trump represents America’s last hope to restore what, if lost, may never be regained: a country where a working-class boy, born far from the halls of power, can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America,” said Vance, 39.
Asset Vance announced as his running mate said in a message posted on social media on Monday during a roll call vote state delegations that saw him become the Republican Party’s nominee for president. After the roll call, delegates nominated Vance as the party’s vice presidential nominee.
He and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vancespoke at the convention before his nomination, which was approved by acclamation.
Chilukuri Vance introduced her husband at the convention, calling him “the most interesting person I know.”
“It’s hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream. A boy from Middletown, Ohio, raised by his grandmother through difficult times, chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges,” she said.
During his speech, Vance raised the issue assassination attempt He criticized Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and said his actions following the shooting demonstrate his commitment to the nation.
“As we gather tonight, we cannot forget that this evening could have been very different. Instead of a day of celebration, it could have been a day of sorrow and mourning,” he said.
Vance continued: “When Donald J. Trump stood in that Pennsylvania field, all of America was with him. And what did he call us to do for our country? To fight. To fight for America. Even in his most perilous moments, we were in his thoughts.”
Trump was injured in the attack, with a bullet grazing his head, and one participant was killed. Two others were injured.
In the wake of the assassination attempt, the former president called for unity, and several of his former opponents in the Republican primaries delivered speeches at the convention, including former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who announced her support for Trump in her speech Tuesday.
Vance also projected a message of unity and urged Americans to support the party that is not afraid to debate ideas in search of the best solution.
“We have a lot of influence in this party, on everything from national security to economic policy,” he said. “But my message to you, my fellow Republicans, is that we love this country and we are united to win.”
The Republican Party for the next four years, Vance said, is “united in our love for America and committed to free speech and the open exchange of ideas.”
Vance described the United States not just as an idea, but as a homeland that will succeed and prosper if its leaders “remember that America is a nation and its citizens deserve leaders who put their interests first.”
“We won’t agree on every issue, of course, even in this room. We may disagree at times about how best to reinvigorate American industry and renew American families. That’s okay. In fact, that’s more than okay, that’s a good thing,” he said. “But never forget that the reason this united Republican Party exists, why we do this, why we care about these great ideas and this great history, is that we want this nation to prosper for centuries to come.”
At 39, Vance is the first Millennial to appear on a major party ticket. His age puts him in sharp contrast to Trump, 78, and President Biden, who at 81, faces calls within the Democratic Party, to withdraw from the race after his shaky performance in last month’s debate.
Vance, who rose to prominence with the publication of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” criticized Trump during the 2016 campaign but has apologized for his disparaging remarks in recent years. The book has climbed back to the top best-seller lists after Vance was chosen to join Trump at the top of the ticket.
