Republicans were welcoming JD Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate on the same night devoted to blasting President Joe Biden’s leadership on the world stage.
The 39-year-old Ohio senator accepted the vice presidential nomination on July 17. He was offered his exaggerated life story as a son of Appalachia, reaffirming Trump’s connections to Americans who align with Christian Nationalism and feel alienated socially, economically, and politically.
But even as Republicans talked of Vance as a potential heir to the “Make America Great Again” movement, Day 3 programming at the Republican National Convention made clear that Trump – a convicted felon, and his racist “America First” agenda defined the party in 2024.
The third nights of conventions are traditionally about the running mate and how they round out a presidential ticket. Vance has become a presence at the convention — mentions from the podium, his name now on signs together with Trump, appearances with the former president on the first two nights of the convention.
But Trump is a dominant figure — even when measured against other U.S. presidents and world leaders. Pick any speaker on July 17 and their most passionate pitches were not about “Donald Trump and JD Vance.” They were about Trump.
“This is a man I know and the president we need for four more years,” said Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump adviser. “He will always stand up for you.”
It is Trump’s party and his alone. No running mate can change that, especially not a freshman senator who has yet to celebrate his 40th birthday.
There were no apologies for January 6. But there was a reminder of many Trump administration convictions
RNC programming for the first two nights largely sidestepped any mention of the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by former President Donald Trump’s supporters. Navarro ended that streak.
Once a top Trump White House adviser, Navarro woke up on July 17 in a Miami federal prison. Hours later, he walked onstage in Milwaukee to an extended ovation after completing a four-month sentence for refusing to testify before Congress about Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“You folks just want to know if you can see my MAGA tattoo I got there,” he said jokingly before unleashing a string of attacks on Democrats.
It was a surreal moment for a party that has long portrayed itself as a staunch defender of law and order. It also served as a fresh reminder of the legal troubles faced by Trump, who was convicted of a felony in May, as well as numerous aides, advisers, and allies who have been indicted or imprisoned for violating the law in his service.
Harsh rhetoric and hardline positions on cultural issues have previously hurt Republicans in multiple recent elections.
