RNC 2024 Day 3 updates: JD Vance touts working class roots in debut as VP nominee

The theme at the RNC on Wednesday is "Make America Strong Once Again."

ByMeredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Chris Boccia, Alexandra Hutzler, and Tal Axelrod
Last Updated: July 17, 2024, 11:38 PM EDT

Day three of the Republican National Convention centered around vice presidential candidate JD Vance as he introduced himself to Republicans as Trump's running mate.

The day was held under the theme of "Make America Strong Once Again."

Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at the convention hall to watch his running mate make his national debut. Other notable speakers included Trump's son and granddaughter and several Gold Star families who expressed their support for the former president.

Despite calls for unity, several speakers spent time bashing President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats on several issues including immigration, crime and Israel.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing:
Jul 17, 2024, 10:56 PM EDT

What to know about Usha Chilukuri Vance

Usha Chilukuri Vance, J.D. Vance's wife, is expected to introduce her husband as makes his first speech since being named Donald Trump's running mate.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Chilukuri Vance is an experienced lawyer who has worked for major judicial figures, during her career.

She previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when he sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Judge Amul Thapar, when he was U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Sen. J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance look on as he is nominated for the office of Vice President on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Chilukuri Vance worked at the firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen, until Monday when she resigned from her position, not long after Vance was named Trump's vice presidential pick.

The couple met while they were students at Yale University Law and married in 2014. They have three children.

-ABC News' Leah Sarnoff and Katherine Faulders

Jul 17, 2024, 10:51 PM EDT

Usha Vance touts husband before his big speech

Usha Chilukuri Vance was the penultimate speaker of the night and talked personally about their relationship and his work in the Senate.

Chilukuri Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants, talked about how despite their differences she and her husband approached those differences with "curiosity and enthusiasm."

Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of J.D. Vance speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Leon Neal/Getty Images

"Before I knew it, he had become an integral part of my family. A person I could not imagine living without. The JD I knew then is the same JD you see today. Except for that beard," she said to a laughing crowd.

Usha Chilukuri Vance arrives to introduce her husband, Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, on third day of the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Evan Vucci/AP

"It is safe to say that neither JD nor I expected to find ourselves in this position. But it is hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream," Chilukuri Vance added as the crowd changed "JD."

"I am grateful to all of you for the trust you have placed in him and in our family," Chilukuri Vance said.

Usha Chilukuri Vance was the penultimate speaker of the night and talked personally about their relationship and JD Vance's work in the Senate.
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Usha Vance touts husband before his big speech

Usha Chilukuri Vance was the penultimate speaker of the night and talked personally about their relationship and JD Vance's work in the Senate.
ABCNews.com

Jul 17, 2024, 10:48 PM EDT

Crowd on their feet as JD Vance takes the stage

As Usha Vance introduced her husband, attendees rose out of their seats to give the vice presidential nominee a standing ovation as he walked out to the song “America First.”

Jul 17, 2024, 10:47 PM EDT

This is the biggest speech of Vance's life

Vance is about to speak in primetime at the RNC, live on all three big networks as well as cable news. The stakes are high, as this is the first impression many Americans will have of him. According to a recent YouGov poll, 43 percent of Americans don't have an opinion of Vance -- probably because many of them are hearing about him for the very first time. This speech will be step one in (he hopes) building a positive reputation for himself.

-538's Nathaniel Rakich