MILWAUKEE (NCB 26) — The third day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was headlined by the introduction and acceptance speech of Ohio Senator JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate.
- Wednesday's RNC speakers largely avoided the day's breaking news of President Biden testing positive for COVID-19 in their speeches
- Vance, a 39-year-old military veteran with degrees from Ohio State University and Yale Law School, gave his life story and criticized President Biden's economic and foreign policy
- His mentions of Midwestern states made clear that he and former president Trump are focusing on swing states, including Wisconsin, in their campaign
- NBC 26 spoke with Ohio delegates and a former presidential candidate — former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson — about Vance's age and policies
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
We're at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where JD Vance gave his acceptance speech for the vice presidential nomination of the Republican Party. Vance and his wife Usha took the opportunity to paint him as a salt-of-the-earth, American-dream success story, from Ohio to the VP ticket. Aside from that storytelling, his speech was both united and defiant.
"I stand here humbled," Vance said, "and I am overwhelmed with gratitude, to say, I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America."
Vance criticized President Biden's administration and record, praised President Trump's response to Saturday's assassination attempt, and tried to relate to Midwestern voters — even mentioning the Badger State.
"To the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio," he said, "and every corner of our nation, I promise you this — I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from."
A long-time delegate from Vance's state told NBC 26 at the Harley Davidson Museum that she thinks he's ready for the job.
"Ohio is really excited," Nancy McArthur said. "He'll be the first vice president from Ohio. We are — Ohio is home to many presidents, as you know, so we have great hopes for JD in the future."
But a former presidential candidate is pumping the brakes — as former Arkansas governor and Scripps News analyst Asa Hutchinson tells us the young senator has work to do.
"He's got a great story to tell that Americans will identify with, but it's about trust," Hutchinson said. "It's about seeing him as a leader that could step in."
We also asked former governor Hutchinson what he expects from former president Trump's acceptance speech on night four of the RNC — and he said he expects it to be a unifying message, and he will be disappointed if it's not. That acceptance speech, coming up Thursday night.
