US Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Republican National Convention on Wednesday and he chose the historic Fort McHenry at Baltimore, as the venue. He accepted the Republican nomination for the vice president and was joined by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, following his address. 

Among the audience was his mother, who has a keen interest in politics, Pence said.

“Sometimes, I think I’m her second favourite candidate on Trump-Pence ticket,” he joked.

He hailed the United States as a nation that “has done more good in this world than any other. A nation that deserves far more gratitude than grievance.”

On Trump’s leadership style, Pence said, “He does things his own way, on his own terms. Not much gets past him and when he has an opinion, he’s liable to share it.”

“He’s certainly kept things interesting.”

“But more importantly, President Donald Trump has kept his word to the American people,” he added. In his address, he recounted the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the assassination of the top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. 

Like many other convention speakers, he pivoted towards China. “In our first three years, we built the greatest economy in the world,” Pence said. “We made America great again. And then the coronavirus struck from China,” he added.

He offered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones to the coronavirus. He hailed the frontline workers for their “heroic” efforts. 

“The response of doctors, nurses, first responders, farmers, factory workers, truckers and everyday Americans who put the health and safety of their neighbors first has been nothing short of heroic,” Pence said.

He also addressed the issue of institutional racism and police brutality raging through the US. However, he took a slightly pro-police stance and said, “the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha”.

Protests raged through the US following the custodial death of George Floyd, an African American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These protests turned violent on several occasions.

Kenosha, Wisconsin is the site of ongoing protests and unrest following the killing of Jacob Blake. On Sunday, Blake was shot at several times by a white Kenosha police officer.

“Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race, and creed and colour, ” Pence said.

He took a swipe at Joe Biden, saying that in the Democratic National Convention, he “didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country”.

He hailed those working in the law enforcement as “the best among us”. “Every day when they walk out that door, they consider our lives more important than their own,” he said.

“We’re not going to defund the police – not now, not ever,” he said.

In his address, Pence painted a gloomy picture of a scenario if Biden is elected as the president. “President Trump set our nation on a path to freedom and opportunity from the very first day of this administration. But Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline,” he said.

At the end of his speech, he was joined on stage by President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and the Second Lady Karen Pence. 

He also accepted the party’s VP nomination. “With gratitude for the confidence President Donald Trump has placed in me, the support of our Republican Party and the grace of God, I humbly accept your nomination to run and serve as vice president of the United States.”