JD Vance hailed Donald Trump as America’s “best hope” as he spoke about his difficult upbringing in an impoverished part of Ohio during his first speech as Republican vice-presidential candidate.
Speaking on the third day of the Republican National Convention, Vance, 39 and from southern Ohio, praised Trump for his defiance after he became the target of an assassination attempt over the weekend.
Referring to the attempt on Mr Trump’s life he said: “Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning.”
Mr Vance, who has in the past compared Trump to Adolf Hitler, said the former Republican president is “America’s last best hope to restore what – if lost – may never be found again”.
The former venture capitalist was chosen by Mr Trump as his running mate earlier this week, despite the Ohio senator being a bitter critic of the former president in the run up to the 2016 election. Since then, he has become one of Mr Trump’s staunchest supporters.
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During Mr Vance’s speech, which was introduced by his wife, Usha, the Republican vice-presidential candidate opened up about his difficult upbringing as he described being raised by his grandmother as his mother struggled with addiction.
He described his grandmother as his “guardian angel” who was “tough as nails”.
Recalling his journey from Middletown, Ohio, Mr Vance said he joined the Marines after 9/11 before attending Yale Law School, where he met his “beautiful wife” – an Indian American lawyer and the daughter of immigrants.
The speech was in part autobiographical, introducing the relative political newcomer to the party faithful, but he insisted running for office was “not about me” but “about all of us, and who we’re fighting for”.
“It’s about the auto worker in Michigan, wondering why out of touch politicians are destroying your jobs,” he said.
“It’s about the factory worker in Wisconsin, who makes things with their hands and is proud of American craftsmanship.
“It’s about the energy worker in Pennsylvania and Ohio, who doesn’t understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from tin-pot dictators but not Americans.
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“And, it’s about single mums like mine, who struggled with money and addiction but never gave up. And I am proud to say that tonight my mum is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, mum.”
Mr Vance also said Mr Biden, who is facing mounting pressure to drop out of the presidential race amid concerns over his health and age – has been a champion of “every major policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer”.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, “reversed decades of betrayals” in four years, he said.
Heaping praise on the former president he said he would “never take for granted the trust you have put in me.
“And what an honour it is to help achieve the extraordinary vision you have for our country.”
His speech was met with rapturous applause by the convention audience and signalled a remarkable change of heart for the so-called “hillbilly”, from staunch Trump opponent to chief cheerleader.