Vice President JD Vance was billed as the headliner of the second night of the Republican convention, but President Trump stole the show. With a hug and a handshake, Mr. Vance exited stage right after his speech as Mr. Trump returned to center stage to make his final pitch. At one point Mr. Trump asked attendees to raise their right hands and pledge to him that he would vote with their family and friends. "You know what happens if you don't vote?" Mr. Trump said. "You go to hell."

The two-day rally in Dallas came as Mr. Trump's approval has sagged below 40 percent and Republicans fear losing control of both the House and Senate. Republicans hoped the gathering would energize a base beleaguered by high prices and the Iran war to turn out in droves. But the two days of red meat tossed from the stage seemed unlikely to satiate independent voters whose support has flagged.

Here are seven takeaways from the convention: Vance makes his 2026 (and 2028) pitch. Mr. Vance arrived in Dallas widely considered the front-runner in the 2028 Republican presidential primary. His speech offered some early clues about how he might approach a campaign. Mr. Vance focused on restoring the primacy of the traditional nuclear American family, a theme he has championed in the administration. He did not mention the war in Iran, an operation he has defended publicly but raised concerns about privately. But he issued a plea for conservatives not to abandon the White House over policy.