With Vance taking the primetime speaking slot just ahead of the president, the convention is also teeing up a potential post-Trump future.
Vance has not said whether he will run for the White House, and Trump has yet to name an heir apparent, but the crowd roared "JD! JD! " when he stepped to the microphone.
"It is pretty cool to hear a crowd that is this fired up chant your name, so go ahead and do it again," Vance said, and the audience obliged.
Republicans are rallying their voters in the midterms while some are also thinking about the next presidential election two years away.
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"I mean you've got a lot of good candidates. I'd pick any of those for the primary. And we'll get a good one. " His son, Anthony, 33, said he believes Vance is being groomed as Trump's successor.
"No one's Trump," he said. "But I like him a lot. "
Republicans hope to avoid midterm losses in November
More immediately, however, Republicans face a potential reckoning this fall.They are struggling to bolster enthusiasm for congressional candidates and laboring to overcome voters' concerns about the economy and the war with Iran. While many Republicans skipped the confab at American Airlines Center, others still see solidarity with Trump as their best shot at winning, despite the president's low approval rating.
Praise for the president gushed through the convention hall, including a video suggesting that "God made Trump" for this moment.
Republicans have spent two consecutive nights denouncing Democrats as extremists, and Trump capped Wednesday by making the outlandish promise of USD 5,000 to each American adult if his party wins.
Such a proposal could cost more than USD 1 trillion and was roundly panned by budget experts and even some Republicans in the president's party.
"The midterms are not supposed to be won by the sitting president," Trump acknowledged during a lengthy primetime speech.
But he encouraged people to go to the polls as if they were voting for him: "Pretend I'm on the ballot. " House Democrats, in Texas for a second day of counterprogramming, blasted the Republicans' convention as an opulent spectacle for an out-of-touch president.
"As Donald Trump and J D Vance party away for two days, the average American family can't afford the groceries," said Rep. Robert Garcia, "Donald Trump does not care about the average American family or about affordability. " Protesters chanting "say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump's not welcome here" marched down streets, but were stopped by police from getting too close to the site.
Republicans showcasing accomplishments and eyeing 2028
Vance's keynote will be closely watched for any hints about his political aspirations. The vice president has demurred on whether he will run for president in 2028, but he's widely expected to run.Chants of "JD, JD, JD" broke out at Vance's meeting with delegates from presidential battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and his home state of Ohio, according to one attendee.
The vice president, who also serves as the Republican National Committee's finance chair, raised USD 2 million for the party earlier Thursday at a fundraiser in Dallas, according to a person familiar with the event who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The second night of the convention showcased some of the most electorally endangered Republicans in Congress and those challenging Democrats in tough races, as well as another potential presidential hopeful: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who railed against liberal Democrats.
"We must stand and defeat the communists," Cruz thundered to cheers. "We must stay America. " Coming on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the evening solemnly marked that moment. It also produced a video tribute to Charlie Kirk, who co-founded the conservative group Turning Point USA. He was assassinated one year ago.
At one point, Rep. Mike Lawler, who is fighting to win reelection in New York, appeared on stage with the family of Sheridan Gorman, who presented a "buddy bench" for Congress to sit together.
She was fatally shot in Chicago and officials have charged a man they say was staying illegally in the country.
