It’s a historic moment in the sporting world that will stand starkly against the Republican messages of support for police and regular calls for athletes to stick to sports instead of making political statements. Pence is expected to address players kneeling during the National Anthem as a form of protest against police brutality and both Trump and Pence have repeatedly criticized players who have taken a knee as disrespectful to the flag and to American values.

Throughout the spring and summer as Americans filled the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, Pence has tried to reframe the debate as an attack on police. In numerous swing state appearances this summer, he has inaccurately suggested that the former vice president would side with far-left activists who favor defunding the police.

He is expected to renew those criticisms on Biden and the vow that both he and Trump have made to “back the blue” in the midst of protests against police Wednesday during his speech at Fort McHenry, making the Trump campaign’s case that the 2020 election is a choice between “freedom and opportunity” and a future of “socialism and decline.”

Pence is speaking from Fort McHenry in part because it is a place that embodies America’s patriotism and the symbolism of the American flag. The defense of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 — when the British attacked the fort during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814 — inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

During an interview on Sirius XM, Pence said he would address the “storied history in our National Anthem” in his speech.

A senior Republican official told CNN’s Jeff Zeleny that Pence will use his remarks to define the Democratic ticket as “out of touch and dangerous for America.”

Michael “Mick” McHale — a 27-year veteran of the Sarasota, Florida, police department — is expected to highlight why police officers support Trump.

“I’m proud that the overwhelming majority of American police officers are the best of the best and put their lives on the line without hesitation. And good officers need to know that their elected leaders and the department brass have their backs,” McHale will say, according to prepared remarks.

“The violence we are seeing in these and other cities isn’t happening by chance; it’s the direct result of elected leaders refusing to allow law enforcement to protect our communities,” he will add.

Trump has repeatedly argued that his administration embodies “law and order” and that his administration is the only thing preventing chaos in the streets of America, even though most of the protests since Floyd’s death have been peaceful.

Pence has twisted Biden’s words in an interview with activist Ady Barkan when he said he “absolutely” agreed that some police funding should be redirected.

The vice president argued that Biden’s comment showed he had “capitulated to the radical left-wing mob” and told voters “the hard truth is: you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”

Second Lady Karen Pence previewed her own speech during an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” in which she said she would focus on the military community and her work connecting military spouses with employment opportunities. She said she would also speak about the work she has done on initiatives to prevent suicide among veterans.

“It’ll be an exciting night to highlight the heroes in this great country,” she said during the interview.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.