GOP midterm convention: Trump directs crowd in a pledge to himself

In prepared remarks released ahead of his keynote speech at the convention Thursday, Vance will call Democrats the "party of hatred," citing a comment he said Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed made about whether Vance's grandfather would love his Indian American wife Usha Vance.

He also makes a plea to Republicans who are disappointed in the Trump administration in the remarks, saying, "I'm not asking you to agree with every policy of our administration. I'm asking you to recognize the contrast with the radicals, and the achievements of the last 18 months.

Vance also pays homage to his friend Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, according to the remarks.

And he touts the accomplishments of the Trump administration -- on crime, immigration, drug prices and jobs.

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt encouraged Republicans to get out and vote in the midterms and attacked Democrats on affordability, crime and immigration.

"The Democrats claim to care about affordability, but every single one of them voted against cutting your taxes, against Trump investment accounts for your kids and against expanding the child tax credit. The Democrats' false economic promises may sound nice on paper, but in practice they will only result in empty opportunities in broken communities," Leavitt said.

"We cannot be safe in an America run by Democrats who want to open our borders, defund our police, and abolish prisons," she added.

She also invoked the name of Charlie Kirk, the conservative podcaster who was assassinated last year during a campus appearance in Utah.

"But as mothers, as parents, as Americans, we are called to pair our prayer with action," Leavitt said. "Nobody did this better than our dear friend Charlie Kirk, who spent his life encouraging us to respectfully debate and actively participate in our democracy."

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

Sen. Ted Cruz described the Democratic Party as being swept by a "red-green alliance: communists and Islamists coming together" because they hate Christians, Jews, and America.

A day ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Cruz said "And on 9/11, could anyone have imagined that Comrade Mamdani would be the mayor of New York?" he said, referring to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

He continued with attacks on Sharia law, saying, "Hear me now. Sharia law has no place in America, Sharia law. Sharia law is fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution, and we need to stand together and stop it now. A simple truth: When people tell you who they are, believe them."

He focused his attacks on Mamdani, streamer Hassan Piker, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Texas Democratic Senate Democratic Candidate James Talarico, saying " When Hassan Piker says America deserved 9/11, believe him. When Mandami says he wants to seize the means of production, he means it. When Abdul El-Sayed says he has a, quote, ‘obligation to comply with Sharia law,’ he means it. And when James Talarico says he wants to dismantle capitalism, he means it."

He ended by saying, "We must stand and fight for freedom. We must stand and defeat the communists. We must stand and defeat the Islamists, and together, arm in arm, we must save America."

-ABC News’ Diana Paulsen

In his keynote address Thursday night, Vance is expected to do something similar to what he did last time he stood on a stage like this during the 2024 Republican National Convention: blend his upbringing with a populist vision for the country and urge voters across the country to keep fighting for the nation, according a source familiar with his speech.

He's expected to talk about his personal life story and the hardships he went through, which included growing up in poverty and his relationship to his mother, who once struggled with drug addiction, the source said.

He's also expected to reflect on becoming a father again for the fourth time, welcoming his son, Alec Vance, in July, and the death of Charlie Kirk, a close personal friend of Vance who advocated for him to become Trump's vice presidential pick, according to the source.

Vance's address tonight will be a big moment for him, as he's widely seen as the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination if he runs in the 2028 election.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie