MILWAUKEE — Sen. JD Vance of Ohio delivered a prime-time address at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, highlighting his personal story, including his upbringing in a poor family that struggled with addiction, as he formally accepted his party’s nomination to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
Vance praised Trump effusively and highlighted his own youth as he attacked President Joe Biden as a symbol of “corrupt Washington insiders” who have exploited Americans for generations.
“Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I’ve been alive — I’m 39 years old,” Vance said, adding, “For half a century, he’s been the champion of every major policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer.”
The starring moment for Vance came during a Republican nominating convention that has focused as much on party unity as it has on attacking the Biden administration for its polices on immigration, trade, the economy and national security. It has also presented a contrast to the roiling chaos in the Democratic Party, including a surging rebellion against Biden.
The top Democrats in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, have each told Biden privately that elected Democrats are deeply concerned about the viability of his candidacy and their own reelection races should he remain at the top of the party’s ticket. Rep. Adam Schiff of California on Wednesday became the highest-profile Democratic lawmaker to call publicly for Biden to step aside, and the president in recent days is said to have become more receptive to hearing arguments about why he should drop out.
Hours later, Biden tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to cancel a speech to a Hispanic advocacy group in Las Vegas. He later flew to his beach house in Delaware, where he plans to recuperate. The White House described his symptoms as mild, but the illness will sideline him as Republicans have hammered the issue of his age.
Here’s what else to know.
— A day heavy on the border and the military: The third day of the Republican convention featured a series of speeches that included fiery, often dehumanizing rhetoric about migrants in the U.S. illegally. Relatives of some of the 13 U.S. troops killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 accused Biden of being indifferent to their suffering.
— From prison to the podium: Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser for Trump, flew to Milwaukee and delivered a defiant convention speech just hours after he was released from prison. Navarro cast his four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee, as a martyrdom on behalf of his fellow Republicans.
— Vice presidential debate: The Trump campaign responded to three potential dates for Vance to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on CBS — July 23, Aug. 12 or Aug. 13 — by saying it was too early to set a date, suggesting that Harris could end up the Democratic nominee for president. The Trump campaign previously said Vance would be willing to participate in a debate against Harris hosted by Fox News.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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