Trump’s vice president pick is vocally opposed to US support for Ukraine
As we’ve been reporting, Donald Trump has chosen JD Vance as his vice-presidential nominee in his bid to return to the White House.
Mr Vance is aligned with Donald Trump’s populist mindset and will likely be palatable to his base – perhaps even as a potential successor one day.
But as one of the most isolationist members of the Republican Party, his appointment is seen by some as a worrying move for Europe.
Mr Vance has been vocal in his opposition to US support for Ukraine and played a key role in trying to scrap the long-delayed security bill which included a $60bn military aid package for Kyiv.
One senior European Union official told Politico that the Ohio senator’s pick as running mate spelt “disaster” for Ukraine – and by extension for the EU.
At the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Mr Vance skipped a meeting with top Ukrainian officials and told a European audience that the US should reassess its support for Ukraine.
He also criticised what he said was Europe’s over-dependence on Washington for security, as well as saying he did not believe Vladimir Putin posed an “existential threat” to the continent.
While he doesn’t believe the US should pull out of NATO, Mr Vance has said that the US should focus “more on East Asia”, which he said will be “the future of American foreign policy for the next 40 years”.
In February, he declined to condemn Mr Trump for saying he could “encourage” Mr Putin to attack America’s NATO allies if they failed to increase their defence spending.
Trump ‘wise’ to pick ‘youthful’ Vance as vice-presidential nominee, commentators say
Donald Trump made a “wise choice” in picking 39-year-old JD Vance as his running mate and injecting some “youth” into the Republican campaign, a US political commentator has said.
Reacting to Mr Trump’s pick for running mate, Scottie Nell Hughes said it was “an interesting choice, but when you’re dealing with two older white gentlemen, let’s bring some youth to the ticket”.
Calling it a “wise choice” to bring in Mr Vance, Ms Hughes told Sky News that the Republican base was “enthused” by the announcement last night.
She added it was not just about 2024, but also a look ahead to the 2028 election.
“JD Vance has become the heir apparent to the White House,” she said.
“Whether we’re talking about Republicans or Democrats right now, this is not just a one or two year cycle. We’re looking ahead to the next ten years about what to forecast for the Republican Party.”
Giving his view, commentator Calvin Dark agreed it was a “smart choice” for Mr Trump.
“I think it particularly addresses the areas where the Biden campaign is weak,” he said, adding that Mr Vance was “really good at communicating his message… whether you agree with him or not”.
Vance ‘overwhelmed with gratitude’
JD Vance says he is “overwhelmed with gratitude” after being named the vice-presidential nominee by Donald Trump.
In a post to X, Mr Vance said it was “an honour” to run alongside the former president.
Trump’s running mate referred to UK as ‘first Islamist country to get nuclear weapon’
Donald Trump’s new running mate for the November election previously joked that the UK was the first “Islamist country” to get a nuclear weapon.
A clip has been posted online of JD Vance making the comments last week at the National Conservatism conference in Washington.
Speaking to the audience, Mr Vance recalled a conversation with a friend in which they were talking about “nuclear proliferation” as “one of the big dangers in the world”.
“I was talking about what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon. We were like ‘maybe it’s Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts’,” he said.
“And we sort of finally decided maybe it’s the UK, since Labour just took over. But to our Tory friends I’ve got to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this.”
Mr Trump announced the 39-year-old Ohio senator as his running mate despite Mr Vance once describing him as an “idiot” and “America’s Hitler”.
Watch: Trump arrives at Republican National Convention
Donald Trump made a jubilant return to the spotlight yesterday after surviving an attempt on his life by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks on Saturday.
He smiled, wave and pumped his fist as walked into an arena in Milwaukee to huge cheers and applause – his ear heavily bandaged from being hit by a bullet.
What can we expect on day two of Republican convention?
The Republican National Convention is entering its second day – with Donald Trump officially as its presidential nominee.
The former president amped up the crowds last night by appearing at the convention with a bandage covering his right ear after being shot.
More speakers are expected today to hail Mr Trump’s strength and resilience after the attempted assassination.
Among them will likely be Nikki Haley, Mr Trump’s former primary rival, who was added to the schedule at the last minute after initially saying she would not attend.
Many of yesterday’s speeches focused on economic policies and claims that Joe Biden has mishandled the US economy, while the overview will shift today to immigration and crime, with the theme of “Make America Safe Once Again”.
The RNC has not revealed the day’s full schedule, however, and organisers are not expected to officially announce who will speak today until later on.
Donald Trump’s official speech is billed for Thursday, after he appeared without speaking yesterday.
Analysis: Trump shooting leaves Biden in unchartered political territory
By David Blevins, Sky correspondent in Washington
Joe Biden isn’t just walking a tightrope, he’s walking it over shark-infested waters.
The attempted assassination of would-be president Donald Trump last weekend, places the current incumbent in a precarious position.
The way Democrats speak about their rival was forever changed in the few seconds it took for the gunshots to ring out.
Until then, Biden’s campaign had presented Trump as a threat to democracy, a dictator-in-waiting, and had focussed on his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
But the president must now strike a balance between pressing his case against Trump’s policies, while heeding his own plea to lower the political temperature.
It is a high-wire act for an 81-year-old candidate, who has spent the last two weeks being circled by Democrats who think it’s time he left the stage.
His exclusive interview with NBC will have done nothing to silence his critics, leaving America with more questions than answers.
Ironically, the attempted murder of Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania had shifted the focus from questions about Joe Biden’s capability.
But the image of a blood-stained Trump, refusing to exit the stage until he had raised his fist in an act of defiance has redefined the campaign.
It has energised Republicans at their national convention and if their nominee manages to steal Biden’s clothes by dialling down the rhetoric, even a little, his lead could become unassailable.
Last night’s television appearance was President Biden’s fourth appearance in the 48 hours since the shooting.
When you’re behind in the polls, you take every opportunity to present yourself as presidential, the calm voice of reason at a time of national crisis.
The first attempted assassination of a president or former president in more than four decades has dented the American psyche.
Biden and Trump are now locked in a different kind of battle, both laying claim to the moral high ground.
There’s no dispute about that ground when Donald Trump is beating the war drums about the “deep state” or peddling conspiracy theories.
But a Donald Trump talking up the need to “unify” and referring to his “nice” call from them president is unchartered territory for Joe Biden.
The man who celebrates his heritage by frequently quoting Irish poetry, could borrow a line from WB Yeats to articulate the political mood.
All changed, changed utterly.
Biden defends decision to stay in presidential race in new interview
Joe Biden has defended his decision to stay in the presidential race after being plagued by calls to step down following his dismal performance in a TV debate with Donald Trump.
In an interview with our US partner network NBC News, the US president was combative at times and said he would not take himself out of the race despite some calls from within his own party to do so.
“I’m old – but I’m only three years older than Trump, number one, and number two, my mental acuity’s been pretty damn good,” Mr Biden said, as he faced questions about his age.
“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three-and-a-half years. So I’m willing to be judged on that,” he said.
The interview with NBC’s Lester Holt was scheduled before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Saturday.
Mr Biden said millions of Democratic voters had selected him through the primaries and he was listening to them.
But he was visibly defensive when asked if he was eager to “get back on the horse” by taking part in another debate against Mr Trump, even before their next scheduled one in September.
“I’m on the horse. Where have you been?” Mr Biden said.
Asked who he consults when it comes to issues like remaining in the race or dropping out, Mr Biden said: “Me. I’ve been doing this a long time.”
The president mumbled at some points during the interview, and his voice trailed off at others.
“What I’m doing is going out and demonstrating to the American people that I have command of all my faculties, that I don’t need notes. I don’t need telepro – I can go out and answer any questions at all,” he said.
Trump ‘bullseye’ comment ‘a mistake’
Mr Biden called on the news media to hold Mr Trump to a similar degree of scrutiny.
However, he said it was a mistake to tell supporters “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye” before the attempt on the former president’s life on Saturday.
“I meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing, focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told in the debate,” he said.
We’re back with the latest
After a short break, we’re back with our live updates after Donald Trump made his first public appearance since he was shot by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks on Saturday night.
Mr Trump appeared to huge applause at the National Republican Convention last night with a white bandage covering his right ear.
As he walked into the packed room, he waved and raised his fist as the crowd chanted “fight, fight, fight”.
He stayed among his supporters for around an hour.
We’ll have the latest as the convention continues today.
We’re pausing our live coverage
That’s all for now – but we’ll be back soon with more updates and analysis as the Republican National Convention continues.
Before we go, here is a quick recap of the key developments on day one.
- Donald Trump was officially nominated as the Republican candidate for president, before making his first appearance since being shot;
- Ohio senator JD Vance – once a fierce critic – was chosen as his running mate and potential vice president;
- Joe Biden called Mr Vance a “Trump clone”, while his campaign warned he would enable MAGA extremism;
- Mr Biden also said he wasn’t sure whether the attempted assassination of Trump will change the trajectory of the presidential election or not;
- Republican strategist Amanda Makki told Sky News the shooting will end calls from Democrats for Joe Biden to bow out of the race;
- A search of the suspected gunman’s home revealed more than a dozen guns, our US partner network NBC News reported;
- And police were inside the building while the shooter tried to assassinate Trump from its roof, according to CBS.