Vice President Mike Pence is officially part of the 2020 ticket.
Pence on Wednesday closed out the third night of the Republican National Convention with his acceptance speech, which he delivered from Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland, the site that inspired the "Star Spangled Banner." During the speech, Pence said the Trump administration spent "our first three years" building "the greatest economy in the world" and touted other accomplishments on the domestic and foreign policy fronts.
Later, the vice president discussed the coronavirus pandemic, which some observers noted was largely absent in the night's previous speeches. He championed the White House's response to the virus, which elicited some criticism, especially since the U.S. was nearing 180,000 COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday night. He also pushed the idea that a vaccine is right around the corner and said the U.S. is 'on track' to have one by the end of the year.
Additionally, Pence targeted the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, whom he called a "a cheerleader for communist China" and "nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left." The vice president argued that, should his predecessor get elected, he "would set America on a path of socialism and decline" and claimed "you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America."
The criticism was intense, and will certainly face pushback, but some felt it could at least sway Republican voters who have been tempted to abandon the party this election. Tim O'Donnell