Republican National Convention enters third day with JD Vance to speak

MILWAUKEE (NewsNation) — The third day of the Republican National Convention will focus on national security and foreign policy as Republicans are uniting around former President Donald Trump.

Former Trump administration officials are expected to outline what foreign policy would look like under a second Trump term if he is reelected. However, the RNC has not released the day’s full schedule and isn’t expected to announce who else will speak until later Wednesday morning.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Trump’s running mate, will also be sprung into the spotlight Wednesday as he is slated to accept his party’s nomination and address the national audience.

JD Vance gets the spotlight

Despite his celebrity after publishing the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” the 39-year-old Ohio senator is unknown to many Americans — and even to many top Republicans in Milwaukee.

Expect a speech that introduces his family — his wife, Usha, and their three children — and his endorsement of Trump’s policies.

Vance beat out North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to be Trump’s running mate. He has developed a strong rapport with the former president over the years, speaking on the phone regularly.

Trump has also complimented Vance’s beard, saying he “looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”

Foreign policy a top focus

Many of the speeches Wednesday will focus on the Biden administration’s handling of global issues, including the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to Trump’s campaign and the RNC, with the theme of “Make America Strong Once Again.”

“Under Joe Biden, the weakest commander-in-chief in our country’s history, America has become a global laughingstock,” the RNC said in an advance release.

Republicans see foreign policy as one of their strongest campaign issues, arguing that America’s standing on the world stage was stronger under Trump despite the party’s growing isolationist shift.

While the focus of Wednesday’s session is expected to be beyond America’s borders, Republicans are expected to also highlight how Biden’s supposed “weakness” on immigration is endangering America’s reputation abroad.

Many speakers have already documented claims that a growing number of foreign terrorists have been able to illegally get into the U.S. from Mexico. Republicans have pointed to the arrests last month on U.S. soil of eight people from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State group.

GOP exhibits unified front

During the RNC’s second day, the Trump’s formal rivals took the stage to get behind him. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley both urged their primary election supporters to back Trump in November.

Tuesday’s theme, “Make America Safe Again,” focused on immigration and crime. The big takeaway, however, is that most of the GOP members rallied around Trump.

At the same time, the unity messaging was often undercut by attacks from speakers like Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who lashed out at Democrats.

Still, the event has mostly gone off without a hitch as Trump’s GOP seeks to pitch a more positive message to the country in the wake of his near assassination.

Additional speakers

A source familiar with RNC scheduling told NewsNation that several more prominent Republican lawmakers and figures are expected to speak on Wednesday.