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The third day of the Republican National Convention shifted its focus to issues of national security and foreign policy.Republicans focused on Democratic President Joe Biden’s handling of the ongoing crises in Europe and the Middle East. Former Trump administration officials took the stage to express their foreign policy hopes should Trump return to the White House for a second term.Vice presidential candidate JD Vance introduced himself to a national audience Wednesday evening when he delivered his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee.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 Deleware to quarantine. Here's a detailed look back at the events of the convention's third day:Day 3 of the convention has endedThe convention is gaveling out after a benediction from Rev. Packy Thompson of Houma, Lousiana.Thompson thanked God for Trump. “I also thank you for protecting him from the evil that was perpetrated last Saturday,” he said.And the gathering is adjourned until Thursday.Biden campaign issues a blistering statement immediately following Vance’s speech“Tonight, J.D. Vance, the poster boy for Project 2025, took center stage. But it’s working families and the middle class who will suffer if he’s allowed to stay there,” Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communication director, said.Video below: Get the Facts on Project 2025“Backed by Silicon Valley and the billionaires who bought his vice presidential selection, Vance is Project 2025 in human form – an agenda that puts extremism and the ultra wealthy over our democracy.”Vance ends VP nomination speech: ‘I will give you everything I have’Vance made a pledge to voters: “I pledge to every American, no matter your party, I will give you everything I have.”He added, “To serve you and to make this country a place where every dream you have for yourself, your family and your country will be possible once again.”Video below: JD Vance takes center stage at RNC After the speech, Vance’s extended family flooded the stage to an unusual song for a Republican convention – Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.”The song became a political staple in 1992 when a very different young politician from a humble background ran for national office. That was Bill Clinton, who is, of course, a Democrat.Vance takes a softer tone on immigrantsIn seeking to appeal to a larger audience on immigration, Vance used the example of his in-laws, who are South Asian immigrants. “These are incredible people who genuinely have enriched this country in so many ways,” Vance said. “And of course, I’m biased because I love my wife and her family. But it’s true.”Vance also used the term “illegal aliens” to describe immigrants in the country illegally instead of the more derisive term “illegals” that previous speakers used. The word choice is an example of the overall tone of Vance’s speech, which is much softer than the speech of the man who introduced him, Donald Trump Jr.Vance, still a relative unknown, familiarizes the crowd with his autobiographyThe crowd inside the convention hall welcomed Vance warmly, but they were somewhat quiet during his remarks — at least compared to other more fiery speakers from earlier in the night.In winning the nomination, Vance has leap-frogged a deep bench of aspiring Republican politicians in Ohio, where the GOP controls every statewide executive office, both legislative chambers and the state Supreme Court.The muted reception was a reminder that Vance is still not well known, even among Republicans. And he was not the most talented orator among the list of veep finalists. Perhaps that’s why Vance has closely followed the script for much of his speech, according to the teleprompters in the room.It’s also worth noting that the speech is more focused on Vance’s biography than the red-meat conservative issues that most excite Republican activists. Vance pays respect to his running mate Vance’s autobiographical speech is supposed to introduce the 39-year-old freshman senator to the nation, but he seemed to have little choice but to immediately address Saturday’s assassination attempt on his running mate.“For the last eight years, President Trump has given everything he has to fight for his country. He didn’t need politics but the country needed him,” Vance said.Video below: Who is J.D. Vance? What we know about Donald Trump's VP pick “They said he was a tyrant. They said he had to be stopped at all costs. But what did he call for?” Vance asked. “He called for national unity.”He also shared an unexpected private detail — two nights ago, he said, Trump gave each of his two adult sons a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry guys,” Vance joked about the moment, noting the two Trump sons “squirmed” like Vance’s own 4-year-old son when the Ohio Senator tries to kiss him.JD Vance takes the stageWith a kiss to his wife, he walked out to Merle Haggard’s “America First,” which has played several times during the convention.Bowing his head and waving to the crowd, the 39-year-old Ohio senator, elected just 20 months ago, proclaimed, “Wow, wow!” as the crowd briefly chanted “JD, JD.”“My name is JD Vance, from the great state of Ohio,” he said.To the chance of OH-IO, he said, “We gotta chill with the Ohio love, we have to win Michigan too.”Usha Vance introduces husband, Trump VP pickUsha Vance, the wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, spoke at the RNC Wednesday evening. She introduced the Ohio senator, focusing largely on their backgrounds.“We were friends first,” she said. “He was then, as now, the most interesting person I knew — a working class guy who had overcome childhood traumas that I could barely fathom to end up at Yale Law School, a tough marine who had served in Iraq, but whose idea of a good time was playing with puppies and watching the movie ‘Babe.’” She also highlighted each other's different life paths that led to their meeting.“My background is very different from JD’s. I grew up in San Diego in a middle-class community with two loving parents — both immigrants from India — and a wonderful sister,” she shared.Usha Vance earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Yale. After college, which included a masters of philosophy from the University of Cambridge after Yale, she clerked for two Supreme Court justices – Brett Kavanaugh when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Chief Justice John Roberts.Her family is Hindu. JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.She worked as an associate at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson until Monday when the firm announced that she had resigned.Trump Jr. calls for unity, attacks enemiesDonald Trump Jr. spoke movingly about his father’s bravery on Saturday after a would-be assassin opened fire, saying he showed “for all the world” that “the next American president has the heart of a lion.” But he toggled back and forth between talking about his father as a symbol of national unity and slamming his enemies.“When he stood up with blood on his face and the flag at his back, the world saw a spirit that could never be broken,” Trump Jr said. “And that is the true spirit of America. America knows what it’s like to be down. We know what it’s like to be confused and afraid.”He quickly segued to slamming the media’s “lies.”“They lied about Russia collusion, they lied about Hunter’s laptop. They lied about Joe Biden’s fitness for office, they lied about the border being secure,” Trump Jr said. Eventually, he said, “all hell has broken loose in America.”Trump Jr. concluded by referencing his father again on Saturday. “He may have moved to the ground but he stood back up,” he said. “He raised his fist in the air and what did he say?” The crowd echoed back “Fight! Fight! Fight!”The speech shows the challenge facing the convention — to give voice to the fear and frustration of their conservative base while also trying to promote Donald Trump as a symbol of hope for all voters.Convention speakers turn to condemning activists on college campusesCountry singer Brian Kelley played his song “American Spirit” as a group of fraternity brothers from UNC Chapel Hill strode to the stage, carrying American flags.The group was honored for taking down a Palestinian flag that activists raised in place of an American flag on their camps. The fraternity brothers then again raised the American flag.Video below: Harvard students walk out in protest during commencement ceremonyNext up was Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish Harvard student suing his school for alleged antisemitism. “After Oct. 7, the world finally saw what I and so many Jewish students across this country experience every day,” Kestenbaum said.The parents of an American man captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and held hostage ever since also spoke.Gold Star families say Biden ‘refused to recognize’ the sacrifice of their loved onesThe families of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed by a suicide bombing in August 2021 appeared on stage as Trump and Republicans look to further highlight one of the most difficult moments of Biden’s tenure. “Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice,” Christy Shamblin, the mother of Sgt. Nicole Gee, told the crowd. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew all of their stories.”The crowd at the RNC chanted “Never forget!” and “U.S.A!”The parents and loved ones of those service members have been thrown into the political spotlight, appearing before congressional hearings and doing various news interviews.Republicans have claimed that Biden’s decision to remove U.S. soldiers after the two-decade war in Afghanistan was a strictly political move. But the agreement for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan was signed by Trump’s administration in February 2020. The deal called for American troops to be out by May 2021, but Trump left office that January without leaving a plan in place for the actual withdrawal of forces.The families have blasted Biden for never publicly naming their loved ones. On stage Wednesday, one of the family members named each of the 13 members, with the crowd echoing back each lost soldier’s name as it was read out loud.The Republican criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resonates with voters across party lines. Former Biden supporters, such as former New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, have cited the botched withdrawal as one reason why they want Biden to step aside.Rep. Waltz describes Trump’s relationship with the families of military service membersRep. Michael Waltz of Florida said Trump has helped Gold Star families heal following the deaths of their relatives in combat.Waltz talked about how Trump has hosted such families at his clubs for dinners and events as a way to thank them for their families’ service and sacrifice.The former Green Beret also opened his Wednesday night comments with a crack on Biden, asking attendees, “Has anyone seen charging stations in the Middle East for Biden’s electric tanks?”Waltz, co-chairman of the Platform Committee, also spoke at the convention on Monday. His name has been mentioned as a possible secretary of state contender in a second Trump administration.GOP showcases ‘everyday Americans’Throughout the convention, the party has been been highlighting nonpoliticians they've dubbed ‘everyday Americans’ to make the case for Trump — or against President Biden.“It looks like and it feels like an invasion because it is,” Jim Chilton, an Arizona rancher, said of immigration issues he’s observed near his property.Chilton’s wife, Sue, said a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent was shot near their home, and she often worries for her husband’s safety when he goes out on their property.“Under President Donald Trump, it wasn’t like this,” Sue Chilton said.The shooting of the U.S. border agent occurred in 2018 when Trump was president.Trump arrives for Day 3Donald Trump has arrived for the third day of the Republican National Convention, entering the floor to a loud applause from the crowd. He is still wearing a bandage on his right ear following the assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday.Trump made it in time for scheduled speeches later in the night from his son Donald Trump Jr. and his running mate Sen. JD Vance.Kellyanne Conway highlights the women from Trump’s administrationKellyanne Conway reminded RNC attendees how many women served at top levels in Trump’s White House.The former senior presidential adviser said Tuesday that she was one of five women, along with others including former press secretary-turned-Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in top jobs during Trump’s administration. Video below: Sarah Huckabee Sanders' speech at the RNCConway noted that among them, they had 19 children in total. Party officials and strategists have noted that Trump has struggled in the past two elections — and again may in 2024 — to attract suburban, college-educated women.In 2016, Conway became the first woman to successfully head up a Republican presidential campaign.Her comments at the 2020 RNC served as a farewell of sorts, as she had announced she’d be leaving the administration.Gov. Abbott wants to ‘take back our land and wire it shut’Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is receiving a warm welcome from the entire delegation, led by Texans waving their white cowboy hats.“I can tell you America needs a president that will secure our border,” says Abbott, governor of the state with the largest section of the U.S.-Mexican border.Video below: Sen. Tom Cotton praises Trump's immigration policy during RNC Day 2Abbott criticized the Biden administration for objecting to his administration’s effort to secure more of its section of the border, “to take back our land and wire it shut.”Abbott’s remarks prompted thousands in Fiserv Forum to chant, “Send them back, send them back.”Burgum promises energy dominance under TrumpNorth Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum joined Sen. Marco Rubio, Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin and Sen. Tim Scott as reported VP finalists not chosen for the job to speak at the RNC this week.Burgum, a former presidential candidate, focused on energy in his speech Wednesday evening. “When President Trump unleashes American energy, we unleash American prosperity and we ensure our national security,” Burgum said, accusing Biden of “acting like a dictator” with his energy policy “using mandates to shut down reliable baseload electricity.”He said serving as governor under Trump’s administration “was like having a beautiful breeze at our back.” In comparison, Burgum said being governor under President Joe Biden “has been like a gale force wind in our face.”However, according to our fact checker, this notion is not entirely truthful.The U.S. under President Joe Biden is producing more crude oil than any country ever has. The world record was set by the U.S. in 2023, according to the federal Energy Information Administration, averaging about 12.9 million barrels per day – exceeding the Trump-era record, an average of about 12.3 million barrels per day in 2019. U.S. production of dry natural gas also hit a new high in 2023. So did U.S. crude oil exports.None of this is to say that Biden is the reason that domestic oil production has increased; market factors are the key driver of companies’ investment and production decisions, and the Energy Information Administration has credited technological improvements in fracking and horizontal drilling technology that have made oil wells more productive.Still, despite Biden’s often-critical rhetoric about fossil fuel companies, some policy moves to get tougher on those companies and his major investments in initiatives to fight climate change, he certainly has not come close to stopping fossil fuel production as Trump has claimed.Biden has also approved some significant and controversial fossil fuel projects, including the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska and the Mountain Valley gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia.RFK Jr. supporters gather outside RNC entranceA handful of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters waved flags near an entrance in support of the independent candidate who they say is a strong alternative to a two-party system where they increasingly feel out of place.Patrick Clerkin, 31, who lives outside of Boston, said he was in Milwaukee trying to energize young voters. “They really do have a third choice this time,” Clerkin said, as an AI-generated pop version of a John F. Kennedy campaign jingle blared on a speaker in the background.Clerkin described the apparent leaked video of Kennedy’s phone call with Trump as “encouraging.”“It wouldn’t be happening if they didn’t consider him worthy of the attention,” Clerkin said.From jail to speaking at the RNCPeter Navarro, a former deputy assistant to then-President Trump, was released from jail earlier today.He left a Miami federal prison after serving four months on contempt-of-Congress charges, stemming from his refusal to comply with subpoenas to testify before the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.Video below: Navarro's speech at the RNCNavarro received a boisterous applause from the RNC crowd Wednesday evening.“I got a very simple message for you. If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful. They will come for you,” he warned.Republicans lay the groundwork for their potential fight against HarrisTrump’s former White House physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, is the latest to attack Harris.Jackson is hammering Biden’s physical and mental capabilities to perform his presidential duties and blaming the president’s “staff and family” for not pushing him to abandon his reelection campaign. Video below: Can Biden's candidacy withstand the pressure? Historian thinks notBut Jackson said, “Perhaps the greatest blame lies with his own vice president. ... She has lied to us. She has put party above country. She is as unfit in character as Joe Biden is in body and mind.”In case it’s not obvious, Republicans are doing everything they can to lay the groundwork for a campaign against Harris if that becomes necessary.Gaetz speaks after confrontation on RNC floor earlier in the weekRep. Matt Gaetz of Florida spoke early Wednesday night, exclaiming, “Donald Trump is unstoppable. Elect him president again, and America will be unstoppable too."The GOP congressman pledged that he would be “President Trump’s strongest ally” in pursuing priorities in Congress, like passing term limits and stopping lawmakers from becoming lobbyists.Gaetz gained attention earlier in the week when he interrupted an interview with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the floor of the convention."What night are you speaking? Are you speaking tonight?" Gaetz yelled at McCarthy, while the former California congressman was speaking to CNN."Hey, if you took that stage, you would get booed off of it," Gaetz added. "You would get booed off the stage."After months of criticism, Gaetz helped orchestrate McCarthy's ouster from the speakership in 2023, after McCarthy worked with Democrats to pass a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. McCarthy resigned from Congress later that year. Gaetz's confrontation with McCarthy Tuesday evening showed that the feud between the two has not been settled.Rep. Nancy Mace has been on Trump’s bad side before, but now she’s backing himThe South Carolina Republican took the stage at the RNC on Tuesday night, talking about her origins as a high school dropout and Waffle House waitress before becoming the first woman to graduate from The Citadel military college.She also referenced the assassination attempt on Trump’s life, saying that, “just as Trump quickly rose to his feet” after the shooting, “America will soon be back on hers” with him back in the White House.Mace worked for Trump’s 2016 campaign and won South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District in 2020. But after she criticized Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the former president supported a Republican who primaried her in 2022.Mace won that contest, has gotten back in Trump’s good graces and now has his support as she seeks a third term.Wednesday session is underway, promises sweeping attacks on BidenThe third night of the RNC promises sweeping critiques of President Biden as a weak commander-in-chief and head of state. There has been plenty of Biden bashing already this week — expected at a Republican convention ahead of challenging an incumbent Democrat.The question is whether the attacks land beyond conservatives already inclined to vote for Trump.Video below: Delegates talk about different tone at RNC so farRepublican Chairman Michael Whatley previewed the line of argument in his introductory remarks, talking of a porous Southern border and asserting that Russia and China were “in check” when Trump was president. But the latter, in particular, is a simplified view of the realities behind Moscow’s and Beijing’s ambitions and aggressive posturing in their respective regions.Trump spent much of his presidency making friendly overtures toward Vladimir Putin. Biden, meanwhile, has largely tracked Trump’s approach on trade policy with China.But those details and nuances won’t find airtime tonight in Milwaukee.Notable speakers for RNC Day 3Sen. JD Vance, vice presidential nomineeUsha Chilukuri Vance, wife of JD Vance Donald Trump Jr.North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was on Trump’s VP shortlistTexas Gov. Greg Abbott Kellyanne Conway, former senior counselor in the Trump administrationPeter Navarro, former director of the US Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, who was released from prison todaySouth Carolina Rep. Nancy MaceTexas Rep. Ronny JacksonFlorida Rep. Matt GaetzFlorida Rep. Anna Paulina LunaTrent Conaway, mayor of East Palestine, Ohio