Donald Trump on Monday picked Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.
Trump announced his choice in a post on his social media ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, on the day he was formally nominated as the party’s nominee for President for the third time. “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote.
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The decision to choose Vance as his running mate marks a dramatic evolution for the Ohio Senator, who has quickly ascended as a pivotal figure in the MAGA movement despite his harsh criticism of Trump around the 2016 election.
Vance, 39, gained national recognition in 2016 with his bestselling book Hillbilly Elegy, which offered a poignant narrative of his upbringing in Appalachia and resonated with some voters in Rust Belt states crucial to Trump’s electoral victories. Initially, Vance refused to support Trump, at one point likening him to “America’s Hitler.” However, his trajectory shifted as he immersed himself in conservative intellectual circles and ascended to the Senate in 2022 with Trump’s help, advocating for policies that emphasize economic protectionism, strong borders, and skepticism of international engagements.
Since assuming office, Vance has carved out a distinct profile in the Senate by championing issues that blend economic populism with nationalist fervor. His opposition to further U.S. funding for Ukraine has been particularly contentious, sparking intense debate within Republican ranks and drawing rebuke from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has also advocated against Ukraine aid.
Vance, a former Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, would be the first-ever Marine combat veteran on a presidential ticket of a major party, and he would also be the first millennial vice president if the Trump-Vance ticket wins in November. A relative political newcomer, Vance has served two years in the Senate.
“J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association,” Trump wrote of his vice presidential pick. “J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond,” Trump wrote in his social media post announcing the pick. Trump’s choice for Vice President was closely watched after an attempted assassination against Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pa.
Critics argue that Vance’s intellectual backing of Trumpism risks legitimizing more extreme elements within the movement. They point to his endorsement of Trump’s unfounded claims about election fraud and his alignment with populist rhetoric that critics contend could undermine democratic norms. Supporters tend to view Vance as a refreshing voice within the GOP, capable of bridging the divide between Trump’s base and traditional Republican circles and an intellectual leader for a cohesive policy framework for the populist conservatism that resonates with Trump’s base.
Trump’s short-list for vice president had also included North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, both candidates who would have balanced his populist appeal with more traditional Republican values.
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