Vance Takes Dallas Stage as Republicans Weigh Party's Post-Trump Path
JD Vance headlines the Republican convention in Dallas as the party debates its future and Trump's grip on voters slips.
Vice President JD Vance was set to deliver the keynote address at the Republican convention in Dallas on Thursday night, a speech widely viewed as an early audition for a 2028 White House bid and a test of how he would lead a party reshaped by Donald Trump.
With Trump constitutionally barred from a third term, Republicans are watching for signals that the president favours Vance as his successor. Trump has reportedly asked aides whether they see Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the frontrunner.
The two-day gathering has been dominated by Trump, who on Wednesday proposed paying every American adult a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if his party wins the November 3 congressional elections. The proposal came during a primetime address that ran nearly two hours and placed him at the centre of the midterm campaign.
Vance, 42, was scheduled to speak at 9 p.m. EDT, with Trump due to close the event. A Marine veteran and Yale Law graduate, Vance rose to national prominence through his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." He has championed tariffs to support domestic manufacturing, backed restrictive immigration policies and opposed a more interventionist foreign policy.
Other Republicans are also positioning themselves. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who spoke on Thursday, said last month that the party was not unified behind Vance and faced a broader debate over its direction. Rubio was not scheduled to appear as he wrapped up a three-nation South American tour.
The convention's heavy focus on Trump — some Republicans have dubbed it "Trumpapalooza" — amounts to a bet that he can mobilise the voters who carried him to the presidency, even as opinion polls show his popularity at a low. It remains unclear whether he can win back swing voters unsettled by the cost of living and the war on Iran.
"I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," Trump told the convention on Wednesday. The first day of the event focused heavily on attacking Democrats over cultural issues such as transgender women in sports and border security.