Former US President Donald Trump has announced Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his vice-presidential running mate for the upcoming 2024 election.
The announcement, made on Trump’s Truth Social media website, came just before he was set to accept the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.
Trump’s wrote, “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.”
Highlighting Vance’s credentials, Trump praised the senator’s service in the Marine Corps, his academic achievements, and his career as a venture capitalist.
Trump noted, “He 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.”
Vance’s bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which brought attention to the struggles of working-class Americans, was also mentioned as a testament to his understanding of the country’s heartland.
At 39, Vance is one of the youngest individuals ever nominated for the vice presidency. A first-term senator with just a year and a half in office, he represents a stark contrast to Trump’s previous vice president, Mike Pence.
Before Vance’s selection, sources confirmed that other top contenders, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, were informed they had not been chosen. Governor Burgum expressed his support for Vance, stating, “His small-town roots and service to the country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda.”
Vance was not present at the Pennsylvania rally where an attempt on Trump’s life was made, but he expressed his support and shared fundraising information for the families affected. “Courageous, United, and Defiant. This is leadership,” Vance wrote on social media, echoing Trump’s call for resilience and defiance.
The Trump campaign has since released a video showcasing Vance’s appearances on the campaign trail and television, culminating with the unveiling of the Trump-Vance campaign logo.
Vance’s inclusion on the ticket is seen as a strategic move to solidify support in Ohio, a reliably Republican state in recent elections. However, Trump’s choice appears to be based more on personal loyalty and alignment with his views than on traditional electoral considerations.
Initially, Vance was a vocal critic of Trump, once calling him “America’s Hitler” and “cultural heroin.” However, he has since changed his stance, admitting he was wrong about Trump and becoming one of his most ardent supporters.
Vance defended Trump during his criminal trial in Manhattan, asserting that the charges were politically motivated. “The entire purpose of this trial was to allow the media and the Democrats to say exactly that,” Vance told CNN.
“This was never about justice; this is about plastering ‘convicted felon’ all over the airwaves when in reality the only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial.”
In contrast to Pence, who refused to overturn the 2020 election results, Vance has stated that he would have taken a different approach. “If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors,” Vance said in a February interview.
The vice president’s role in certifying election results is largely ceremonial, according to the 12th Amendment and the Electoral Count Act of 1877. Legal experts agree that Pence did not have the power to reject the outcome of the 2020 election.
