Former president's 17-year-old granddaughter speaks
MILWAUKEE -- Day 3 of the Republican National Convention featured the prime-time debut of J.D. Vance, introducing himself both to Republicans and Americans nationwide.
Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at the convention hall to watch his running mate make his national debut.
His 17-year-old granddaughter spoke, as well, humanizing her grandfather.
Wednesday's theme at the RNC was "Make America Strong Once Again."
As the RNC's evening session was about to begin, the Biden campaign announced that the president had contracted COVID-19 and would be flying to Delaware to quarantine.
Trump has walked out on the convention floor to the James Brown song "It's A Man's Man's Man's World."
He is wearing a bandage on his ear again and is raising his fist as the crowd cheers.
Seen in the VIP box with Trump were Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and others.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a one-time presidential hopeful and a top candidate for Trump's running mate, largely focused on energy during his speech.
"Who will make America energy dominant?" Burgum asked, as the crowd shouted in response, "Trump!"
Burgum said Trump "champions innovation over regulation" and will "make sure that America is selling energy to our allies versus buying it from our adversaries."
During his speech, some attendees could be seen waving signs that said, "American oil from American soil."
East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway took the stage, praising the first responders who rushed to help after a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed last year.
He criticized the federal response, claiming the Biden administration "talked and talked, but they delivered little help."
Conaway went after Biden for not visiting the town in the immediate aftermath and praised Trump for coming to the town less than three weeks after the incident.
"I know a thing or two about train wrecks now and let me tell you, that is what the Biden administration has been," he said.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News anchor David Muir in February 2023, Biden said he "made it clear" to officials on the ground that "anything they need, we'll make it available to them."
The comments came after East Palestine's mayor called it a "slap in the face" that Biden traveled to Ukraine while his town felt forgotten in the weeks after the crisis. Biden went to East Palestine a year later.
Republicans have been bashing the Biden administration's immigration policies, arguing that more undocumented immigrants have been entering the country.
Last month, Biden issued an executive action that limits the number of migrants who can claim asylum between ports of entry at the southern U.S. border.
Since then, the number of encounters at the southern border have decreased by more than 50%, according to government data.
The Department of Homeland Security said it removed and returned more than 50,000 individuals to more than 100 countries since the new rule went into effect.
Border Patrol agents made roughly 83,536 migrant apprehensions in between ports of entry at the southern border in June, the lowest since January 2021, according to government data.
