Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on Aug. 26, 2020 shows screens displaying U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) being joined onstage by U.S. President Donald Trump after delivering his speech during the 2020 Republican National Convention from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday night accepted the Republican Party's nomination for a second term in a speech from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday night accepted the Republican Party's nomination for a second term, in a speech from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
"I humbly accept your nomination to run and serve as vice president of the United States," Pence said in his address concluding the third night of the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC).
In most of his speech, Pence sought to make the case for U.S. President Donald Trump's reelection, defended the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, touted what he believes are the administration's achievements, and slammed the Democrats and their 2020 presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
Echoing Trump, Pence delivered a pro-police "law and order" message, despite a nationwide reckoning over police brutality and racism.
"Let me be clear: the violence must stop -- whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha," he said. "We will have law and order on the streets of America."
Kenosha in the state of Wisconsin remains in the national spotlight after Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old African American, was shot seven times by police officers this week.
Demonstrations calling for racial justice have continued for days in the city, leading to social unrest. The Milwaukee Bucks, a Wisconsin-based professional basketball team, boycotted their playoff game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday afternoon to protest the shooting.
Pence also spoke about Hurricane Laura, which has strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm as it barreled toward the Louisiana and Texas coasts late Wednesday.
"This is a serious storm," he said. "We urge all those in the affected areas to heed state and local authorities."
Trump and U.S. first lady Melania Trump joined the second family on stage to chants of "four more years" after Pence's speech from Fort McHenry, a place where Americans defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write lyrics of the American anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Pence, 61, is a former governor of Indiana and a member of the U.S. House of Representative. He was Donald Trump's running mate in the 2016 presidential campaign and has been serving as U.S. vice president since Jan. 20, 2017.
A vocal defender of Trump on and off the campaign trail, Pence also chairs the White House Coronavirus Task Force, established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused more than 5.8 million infections and nearly 180,000 deaths in the United States.
Second lady Karen Pence, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, the president's daughter-in-law and campaign adviser Lara Trump, and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell were among those who addressed the RNC's third night under the theme "Land of Heroes."
"What wasn't said tonight tells us far more than what was: barely a mention of the virus killing thousands of Americans each week, no real discussion of the crushing financial hardship countless families are facing as a result, and no plan to get us out of the ditch that Donald Trump has driven us into," Kate Bedingfield, a spokesperson for Biden's campaign, said of the Republican event in a statement.
"Instead of a roadmap to defeat this virus and rebuild our economy so that it works for the middle class, Vice President Pence only offered up debunked scare tactics and gaslighting in an attempt to further divide us," Bedingfield added.
Trump will deliver his acceptance speech on the White House South Lawn on Thursday night, the finale of the RNC. U.S. Senator from California and 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will counter Trump's remarks with her own on Thursday.
