MILWAUKEE — The third day of the Republican National Convention will carry a theme of “Make America Strong Again,” highlighted by a speech from vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).
Each day of the conference includes a central message, with Monday’s being “Make America Wealthy Again,” Tuesday’s “Make America Safe Again,” and Thursday’s “Make America Great Once Again.” Nearly 2,500 delegates from across the country are attending the convention at the Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, and other nearby venues for the festivities.
While Trump has always made strength a central theme of his image — so much so that Democrats often accuse him of being an authoritarian strong man — most closely watched on Wednesday will likely be the speech by Vance.
The delegates voted Monday to nominate Trump as the Republican nominee and added Vance as his running mate. Vance beat out GOP superstars for the position, including Sens. Tims Scott (R-SC) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), among many others.
Vance’s early opposition to Trump and his strong economic populism have led to some criticism of the pick from some conservatives. National Review columnist Philip Klein said the Vance pick represented another nail in the coffin of Reagan Republicanism.
Most Republicans, however, praised Vance as a folk hero and a bridge to the post-Trump future of the party.
“Ohio is swelling with pride today with the historic announcement that Sen. J.D. Vance will be the next vice president of the United States,” Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou said in a statement. “Sen. Vance understands the devastating impact that Joe Biden’s policies have had on working Americans. With inflation crushing the middle class, Sen. Vance will join the president in restoring America’s economic strength. He is the best choice for America.”
Vance is sure to sing Trump’s praises, but delegates will also be closely watching his remarks on the economy. Vance, along with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), has embraced a new relationship between Republicans and labor unions, picketing with striking workers in their home states in recent years.
A veteran, he has been an outspoken critic of funding for Ukraine’s defense against Russia, and may be more populist and nationalist on economic issues than Trump himself.
The convention is open only to delegates, elected officials, members of the media, and volunteers but will be easy to watch from home for everyone else.
The session will run from 5:45-10 p.m. local time, and coverage will be available on YouTube, X, Facebook Live, Amazon Prime, Rumble, Twitch, Fox News, and the Washington Examiner.
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The list of convention speakers is much longer than just Trump and his vice president, including a mix of current and former politicians, celebrities, Trump family members, and media personalities.
Among the highlighted speakers throughout the week are RNC Co-chairwoman Lara Trump, singer Lee Greenwood, Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), 11 GOP senators, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.