Live Updates: Vance says "I will never forget where I came from" in first speech as VP nominee at RNC Day 3

On the heels of Vance's acceptance speech, the Biden-Harris campaign lambasted the Republican vice presidential nominee.

"Backed by Silicon Valley and the billionaires who bought his vice presidential selection, Vance is Project 2025 in human form – an agenda that puts extremism and the ultra wealthy over our democracy," communications director Michael Tyler said.

Project 2025 is the presidential transition project overseen by the Heritage Foundation and includes a policy agenda that would overhaul the federal government.

Tyler called Vance the "poster boy" for the plan, which he warned would harm working families and the middle class.

"JD Vance is unprepared, unqualified, and willing to do anything Donald Trump demands," he said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and a group of GOP senators confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the RNC over how a shooter was able to hit Trump and kill and injure others on Saturday. 

Blackburn posted a four-minute video of the encounter on X on Wednesday. 

Blackburn and other senators pointed out that a potential threat was identified by law enforcement well before the shooter opened fire. 

"He was nearly killed," Blackburn said. 

Blackburn asked why Trump was still allowed on stage. 

Cheatle said she didn't think the hospitality suite at the RNC wasn't the place for the conversation. Cheatle said she would answer their questions in an "appropriate" forum, before leaving the room. 

The senators followed her through the convention center when she declined to answer their questions. 

"You answer to us," said Sen. Kevin Cramer. 

"You cannot run away from your responsibility to the people of the United States," said Sen. John Barrasso. 

Vance highlighted his own personal story, which he wrote about in his bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." 

"Donald Trump represents America's last best hope to restore what – if lost – may never be found again: A country where a working class boy, born far from the halls of power, can stand on this stage," Vance said. 

In addition to his grandmother — who he affectionately called Mamaw — Vance also called out his mother, Beverly, whose struggles with addiction were central in "Hillbilly Elegy." 

"And I am proud to say that tonight my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober," Vance said. "I love you, mom."

Beverly Aikins stood up to applause, saying to House Speaker Mike Johnson "that's my boy." 

Vance said that the official anniversary will be in January 2025, and he hoped they could celebrate in the White House.

Vance said the Republican Party of the next four years is united in a love for America, and a commitment to free speech and the open exchange of ideas. 

"So tonight, I stand here humbled, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude, to say… I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America," Vance said. 

Vance said not in his wildest imagination would he have believed he would stand there that night. Vance noted how he grew up in Middletown, Ohio. It was a place Vance said had been "cast aside" by America's ruling class. 

He also spoke of his grandmother, "Mamaw," who raised him as her own while his mother struggled with addiction. Vance said his grandmother had a deep Christian faith, but also loved the "F" word. 

In his first public address since being named the vice-presidential candidate, Vance raised the attempted assassination against Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and said his actions in the wake of the shooting demonstrate his commitment to the nation.

"As we meet tonight, we cannot forget that this evening could have been so much different. Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning," he said. 

Vance continued: "When Donald J. Trump rose to his feet in that Pennsylvania field, all of America stood with him. And what did he call us to do for our country? To fight. To fight for America. Even in his most perilous moment we were on his mind."

 Usha Vance, JD Vance's wife, introduced her husband.

Usha, a litigator, has largely stayed out of the public spotlight until now. 

She said that when she was asked to introduce her husband, she "was at a loss." But she said the man she met at Yale Law School is the same man he is now. 

"The JD I knew then is the same JD you see today, except for that beard," she said. 

"He was then, as now, the most interesting person I knew," she said. 

Vance was a working class guy who had overcome trauma she could barely fathom, she said. She said his idea of a good time was playing with puppies and watching the movie, "Babe." 

Usha Vance said she "neither JD nor I expected to find ourselves in this position." 

"It's hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream," Usha Vance said. "A boy from Middletown, Ohio, raised by his grandmother through tough times. Chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges."

Donald Trump Jr., the former president's eldest son, briefly shared the stage at the convention with his daughter, Kai, before delivering his own remarks that touched on Saturday's assassination attempt.

"My father came under literal fire, as an incredible patriotic rally turned into a tragedy," Trump Jr. said, adding that "we came millimeters away from one of the darkest moments in our nation's history."

Trump Jr. recounted the former president's raised fist as Secret Service agents whisked him off the stage after shots were fired at his rally.

"He may have moved to the ground but he stood back up," he said. "And when he did, my father raised his fist into the air,he looked out at the crowd and what did he say?"

The crowd then began to chant "fight! Fight! Fight!"

"That's when the world found out that there is tough and then there is Trump tough," Trump Jr. said. "And the good news is America is Trump tough."

Former President Donald Trump's 17-year-old granddaughter, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa Trump, said she asked her father to speak at the convention. 

"The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person," Kai said. "But I know him for who he is. He is very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country. And he will fight every single day to make America great again." 

Kai said her grandfather always wants to know how his grandchildren are doing out at school, and when she made the honor roll, printed it out to show his friends. 

"He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going, and tells me all about his," Kai said. "But then I have to remind him that I'm in school and I'll have to call him back later."

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 Two by two, parents of the U.S. soldiers killed in the bombing in Kabul amid the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 came up to talk about their children, Mr. Biden's handling of the withdrawal and response in the aftermath. Thirteen U.S. soldiers were killed in the Aug. 2021 bombing.

During his debate with Trump, the president inaccurately said no troops died under his watch, which the parents at the convention said greatly offended them. 

"I'm the only president this century that doesn't have any — this decade — that doesn't have any troops dying anywhere in the world," the president said during the debate. 

Parents of the fallen said the president has not publicly spoken their names. 

Trump met with the families, as did Mr. Biden. But one father said the president spoke much more about the death of his own son, Beau, than their fallen children. 

The parents read aloud the names of each of the 13 fallen soldiers. 

Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. and gave one of the most viral speeches of the 2020 convention, delivered the first speech of the night after Trump's arrival. She sought to contrast Trump and Mr. Biden in her remarks, saying the former president will make the country "strong, safe and prosperous."

"This is the most important election in our lifetime. This election will decide the fate of our great nation and that is why we must elect President Donald John Trump," Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host, said.

She invited all in the crowd to "rise up" in support of Trump and said the 2024 election is the "last chance to make America great again."

"We will not be bullied into obedience. We will not cower in silence," she said. "We will fight for America because we love America."

Trump, still with a bandage draped over his right ear, arrived in the convention hall shortly before 9 p.m., to the song, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World."

The former president pumped his fist in the direction of his cheering supporters. 

Sitting next to Trump is Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum became the latest of the former Trump primary rivals to deliver remarks at the convention, joining former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

His speech focused on the need for the U.S. to be energy independent and said serving as governor under regulations put in place during the Biden administration has been "like a gale-force wind in your face."

"Innovation has always been the source of American greatness and President Trump champions innovation over regulation," Burgum said.

He concluded his speech with a knock at Mr. Biden's efforts to incentivize Americans to purchase electric vehicles, saying that Trump will let the crowd keep driving gas-powered cars.

As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delivered his speech praising Trump's immigration agenda, which he said includes plans to deport migrants who enter the U.S. illegally, the crowd began to chant "send them back! Send them back! Send them back!"

Many waved signs reading "mass deportation now!" and "make America strong again," the theme for the convention's third day.

 Former Trump administration acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tom Homan, declared Trump a "warrior" and blasted the Biden-Harris administration for their immigration policies. 

Under Trump, "deportations rose to the highest level ever," although Customs and Border Protection numbers indicate the deportations from 2017-2020 were far lower than in the mid-2000s. 

"Most importantly, four years under President Trump, we had 13 people we arrested under the terrorist watch list," Homan said. "Joe Biden? 381."

Homan also said he had a message for the "millions of illegal aliens" Mr. Biden has allegedly released into the country: "You'd better start packing now. You're damn right. Because you're going home." 

Homan blasted criminal cartels in Mexico, saying they've killed more Americans than every terrorist organization combined. Homan said he told the cartels Trump is "going to wipe you off the face of the earth." 

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will make his first pitch to voters at the Republican National Convention Wednesday since being selected as former President Donald Trump's running mate. The freshman senator, once a "Never Trumper," is now a Trump loyalist. Robert Costa reports from Milwaukee.

Peter Navarro, who served as a top trade adviser to Trump, delivered remarks at the convention just hours after he was released from a Miami prison after completing a four-month sentence.

Navarro was convicted of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. He received rousing applause from the crowd, who chanted "fight."

"This is a beautiful thing," he said. "I think you folks just want to know if you can see my MAGA tattoo I got there."

Navarro claimed his prosecution was politically motivated, though there is no evidence that Mr. Biden had any involvement in the case brought against him. The House voted to hold him in criminal contempt and he was indicted by a federal grand jury for refusing to comply with the subpoena. A jury then found him guilty on two counts.

"They did not break me," Navarro said. "And they will never break Donald Trump."

He said that on the morning he reported to prison in March, his fiancee told him "we got this," after which the crowd began chanting the phrase.

"On Election Day, America will hold these lawfare jackals accountable," Navarro said. "Vote Trump-Vance '24 for Trump 47."

In brief remarks to the convention, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz praised Trump for his leadership and his selection of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.

"Donald Trump is unstoppable. Elect him president again and America will be unstoppable too," he said.

Referencing Trump's 2016 pledge to "drain the swamp," Gaetz pledged that if Trump is reelected to a second term, the "swamp draining will recommence soon and I will be President Trump's strongest ally in Congress."

 Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, who was formerly the White House physician while Trump was in office, praised Trump's "warrior spirit and his display of will" to keep going after he was shot Saturday. 

Jackson argued that the president's job is full time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

"Time off just truly doesn't exist," Jackson said. "Our president needs to make clear and decisive decisions in a moment's notice."

"Unfortunately, our current president is not ready for that call," Jackson said. "Let's not kid ourselves. Father time has not been kind to Joe Biden."

Jackson said the president's family "should have compassion for him" and let him step aside. He also blasted Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Harris "has not been truthful with us," Jackson said. "She has lied to us. She has put party above country. And she is as unfit in character as Joe Biden is in body and mind." 

The Trump campaign on Wednesday said they won't agree to a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and JD Vance because they don't know who the Democratic vice presidential nominee will be yet. 

Some Democrats have been putting pressure on President Biden to step aside from the ticket, with weeks to go before a virtual roll call that would cement Mr. Biden as the Democratic nominee. On Wednesday, Harris agreed to a third possible date for a CBS-hosted vice presidential debate. 

"We don't know who the Democrat nominee for vice president is going to be, so we can't lock in a date before their convention," said Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior adviser. "To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate."

The third night of the Republican National Convention got underway just before 6 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. ET, Wednesday, with the National Anthem and video highlighting the day's theme, "Make America Strong Once Again."

Florida Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, a U.S. Army veteran who lost both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan, is the first speaker of the night.

"Nothing could stop me from standing alongside Donald Trump and fighting for America," he said.

President Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House confirmed Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Mr. Biden tested positive earlier in the day after an event in Las Vegas. He was poised to address a conference of the Latino civil rights and advocacy group UnidosUs, but its president, Janet Murguía, announced that he would no longer be able to attend.

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