Vance, Working Class, Gold Star Families Honored: Takeaways From Day 3 of RNC

MILWAUKEE—Vice Presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance headlined Day 3 of the Republican National Convention, presenting former President Donald Trump as the man who will champion the American worker and restore the nation to a position of strength in the world.

In an acceptance speech that highlighted his humble beginnings in an economically depressed industrial town in Ohio, Mr. Vance touted the former president’s record in building the economy, championing working Americans, and securing the country.

For most of the night, political speeches took a backseat to personal stories and the party hammered the themes of border security, military strength, and strength on the international stage against Lady Liberty’s adversaries.

Here are the key takeaways from Day 3 of the Republican National Convention.

1. JD Vance Tells His Story

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the winner of former President Trump’s extended “veepstakes,” formally accepted the GOP’s vice president nomination in a lengthy speech that cast himself as worthy of the trust of the average American and lauded former President Trump as a champion of the forgotten man and woman.

The lawmaker and “Hillbilly Elegy” author unspooled his deep and complex story, which began in Ohio, where he was raised by his grandmother due largely to his mother’s substance abuse issues.

He went from Middle America to the Marine Corps and then Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha—the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Jane Timken, a Republican National Committeewoman from Ohio, said she was familiar with Mr. Vance’s story about the “tough grandma” who raised him. “I’m a tough woman too,” Ms. Timken said.

Mr. Vance, she added, was smart, thoughtful, and intelligent but also a fighter.

The candidate, a former venture capitalist, transitioned from a “Never Trumper” in 2016 to one of the rising intellectual forces in the MAGA movement.

Mr. Vance echoed former President Trump’s views on the Iraq War, which he called a “disastrous invasion,” China, the victor in a “sweetheart trade deal,” and more.

His RNC message was also explicitly aimed at Midwestern states that will be key to a Republican victory in November, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

He pledged to be “a vice president who never forgets where he came from.”

2. Personal Stories Highlighted

The GOP continued its strategy of personalizing its core issues by inviting ordinary people to tell their experiences.

Highlighting the theme of border security, David Lara of the border town of San Luis, Arizona, told of Mexican drug cartels using school children to transport drugs through their community.

Shabbos Kestenbaum, an Orthodox Jewish student, told of harassment and death threats received at Harvard University. He has sued Harvard University for its alleged failure to combat anti-Semitism on campus.

Orna and Ronan Neutra spoke of their son Omer, who was taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He is one of eight Americans who continue to be held in Gaza. “Imagine over nine months, not knowing whether your son is alive,” Ms. Neutra said.

World War II veteran William Pekrul, 98, recalled fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and seeing the horror of Nazi concentration camps firsthand.

“There aren’t many of us left,” he said, “but for those of us who still are here, America is still worth fighting for.” Mr. Pekrul said.

3. Gold Star Families Honored

Personal recollections by families of some of the 13 military personnel who died in a suicide bombing attack during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 backed the GOP’s emphasis on the need for military strength. The segment brought many convention attendees to tears.

Grieving relatives paid tribute to those who died and expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for caring about them. Some also blamed President Biden mishandling the operation.

Watching a video telling the story of Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, who was killed in the withdrawal, Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, California, wept. He had intended to hire Mr. Lopez on his discharge from the military.

“The way that family was treated was not American,” Mr. Bianco told The Epoch Times.

Christy Shamblin, whose daughter, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, from Sacramento, California, was among those killed, said, “For the first time since Nicole’s death, I felt that I was not alone in my grief.”

After spending time with former President Trump, along with other Gold Star families, she said, “I had expected to meet an arrogant politician.” Instead, they said the former president was compassionate and caring.

4. Border Security Brought to Life

Republican speakers went light on statistics in conveying their urgency to secure the U.S. southern border. Instead, they portrayed the reality of life in border communities and described the impact of illegal immigration on the country.

They did that through a series of personal accounts from property owners, video footage of people illegally entering the country, and speeches by elected officials frustrated over the steep increase in illegal immigration during the Biden administration.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, whose Texas district includes a stretch of the border around the city of McAllen, told of her grandparents’ legal immigration from Mexico in pursuit of a better life but decried illegal immigration for its impact on the country.

“There’s nothing compassionate about open borders,” Ms. De La Cruz said. “They threaten our national security and flood our country with deadly drugs, killing our precious children.”

Arizona ranchers Jim and Sue Chilton told of some 5,000 illegal immigrants crossing into the United State through their property since April and showed video footage of the more than 3,500 of those in camouflage carrying backpacks. “These are not asylum seekers,” Mr. Chilton said.

President Biden, who has criticized Congress for failing to take action to secure the border, announced a series of immigration reform actions on June 4, including barring those who enter the country illegally from receiving asylum.

5. Kai Trump Makes Political Debut

Kai Madison Trump, 17, the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr., made her political debut by delivering a speech about her grandfather, Donald Trump.

The 17-year-old recounted anecdotes of the former president challenging her at golf, bragging about her grades to friends, and giving out snacks when her parents weren’t looking.

Miss Kai acknowledged that the former president is perceived negatively by many but said, “I know him for who he really is. He’s very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country.”

Barron Trump, the son of former President Donald and Melania Trump, made his political debut at a campaign rally in Doral, Florida, on July 9. The 18-year-old waved to acknowledge the crowd who was chanting his name but did not deliver remarks on July 17.

6. Fresh out of Prison, Peter Navarro Speaks Out

Peter Navarro—emeritus professor of economics and public policy at University of California, Irvine, and former Democrat—took the stage in Milwaukee to loud cheers and a standing ovation.

“I went to prison so you don’t have to,” he told the crowd.

Mr. Navarro, who was appointed to lead the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy during the Trump administration for his book and documentary “Death by China,” had just emerged from a federal correctional institute in Miami, Florida, where he has been imprisoned for four months after being sentenced on criminal contempt of Congress charges for failing to comply with the anti-Trump Jan. 6 Committee.

“Guess what? They did not break me,” Mr. Navarro said.

Another figurehead of MAGA, Steve Bannon, recently went to prison under similar circumstances. Mr. Navarro spoke about that case too.

Paul Ingrassia, a young Republican lawyer who was in attendance, said Mr. Navarro “spearheaded the intellectual movement” behind changing America’s approach to trade with China.

“I’m so grateful to see that he’s out of jail,” he said.