Vice President Mike Pence formally accepted the Republican nomination for vice president on Wednesday, as he will join Donald Trump for a bid at a second term in the White House.
Pence delivered his speech from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, in front of a small group of supporters. The GOP convention has largely been held remotely in Washington, DC, after the party canceled most activities
Pence addresses unrest
Pence, who was not expected to address the growing unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and elsewhere following the shooting of Jacob Blake decried violence at the demonstrations, Pence reiterated that the Trump administration will ensure law and order.
Protests continued on Wednesday as pro athletes from the MLS, MLB and NBA sat out in solidarity with the demonstrations.
Blake was shot seven times on Sunday by Kenosha Police officer Rusten Sheskey, who has since been placed on administrative leave. Sheskey has not been charged criminally for the shooting.
Late Tuesday, two people were killed and one person was wounded in a shooting amid the demonstrations. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois, was charged in connection with the shootings.
"Let me be clear: the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedoms to see Americans strike each other down," Pence said
Pence promises coronavirus vaccine by year’s end
Pence, who has spearheaded the White House’s coronavirus task force, committed that a vaccine will be ready by the end of the year. While there is incredible urgency to develop a vaccine given 180,000 US coronavirus deaths so far in 2020, there are doubts among public health experts a vaccine can be distributed so quickly.
Last week, Joe Biden said 'no miracle is coming.' What Joe doesn't seem to understand is that America is a nation of miracles and I'm proud to report we're on track to have the world's first safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year,” Pence said.
The White House has launched "Project Warp Speed," with the goal of producing 300 million vaccine doses by January.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told Reuters earlier this week it is important for a vaccine to be proven effective.
"One of the potential dangers if you prematurely let a vaccine out is that it would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the other vaccines to enroll people in their trial," he told the outlet.
Jack Brewer speaks following insider trading charges
Former NFL star Jack Brewer delivered an RNC speech on Wednesday despite being charged with insider trading earlier in the month.
Brewer’s charges are civil and not criminal in nature.
He is accused of selling 100,000 shares of a “pennystock” in 2017 after allegedly receiving insider information about the stock’s value.
Brewer said he is a lifelong Democrat, “But I support Donald Trump. Let me be clear. I didn't come here for the popularity or the praise, the likes or the retweets. I'm here as a servant to God, a servant to the people of our nation and a servant to our president."