Donald Trump picked Ohio senator J.D. Vance as his running mate on Monday afternoon, choosing a grassroots favorite ahead of more seasoned political operators.
The former president left it until the last possible moment, using all his showman skills to leave the world guessing, before opting for 39-year-old Vance
Trump made his announcement on Truth Social, dropping it just as delegates were rubber stamping his nomination as presidential candidate at their convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
‘As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,’ he wrote in a statement that cited his career as a Marine, bestselling author, and in business.
Vance arrived on the convention floor two hours later to a hero’s welcome for the official nomination vote.
Sen. J.D. Vance arrived on the convention floor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, two hours after being named by Donald Trump as his pick for running mate
Vance is a former Marine and bestselling author. He was elected to the U.S. in 2022
The Biden campaign immediately went on the attack, picking over Vance’s hardline record on abortion and saying he would do the bidding of billionaires and corporations.
Vance swept to national attention when he published his bestselling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ in 2016, the year Trump was elected president.
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JD Vance's path from Hillbilly Elegy to Trump's VP ran through a Supreme Court justice and Don Jr
He has been a senator for less than two years but has established himself as one of the fiercest defenders of Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ agenda, especially when it comes to foreign policy, trade and immigration.
The former venture capitalist and U.S. Marine had initially been critical of Trump.
He didn’t vote for Trump in 2016 and around that time tweeted: ‘My god what an idiot.’
But insiders said he became increasingly politicized as he watched the nation’s elite institutions turn on the Trump presidency even as he delivered on his promises.
Since then he become personally close with the former president and his son Donald Trump Jr.
His feisty appearances on Fox News impressed Trump, as has his recent weight loss.
Last week, Don Jr. told DailyMail.com: ‘You make a lot of acquaintances in politics, but J.D. is a great and loyal guy who has become a genuine friend.
‘His entire life story is the embodiment of the American dream, but he never forgets where he came from.’
Donald Trump revealed Vance as his pick with a statement on Truth Social on Monday afternoon that read like a resumé, listing his career achievements
Some delegates wrote in ‘Vance’ on their Trump signs after the announcement was made
Trump noticed J.D. Vance’s recent weight loss, calling him a ‘handsome son of a bitch.’
The role of VP has taken on even greater significance in the past 48 hours, after an assassins bullet hit the former president’s ear on Saturday.
His running mate will have to be ready to step up to the top job at short notice.
‘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,’ said the former president in his statement.
Vance will also now be expected to enthuse Trump’s base and inject some millennial energy into the race.
His blue-collar Ohio roots will could also help beat President Joe Biden in his so-called ‘blue wall’ states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said: ‘President Trump needs a vice president with innovative ideas and the ability to articulate them to every single American voter and Senator J.D. Vance fits that mold perfectly.
‘It is time to unite our nation and we are eager to grow our House majority and get to work with this ticket to restore America’s greatness once again.’
Don Jr., the former president’s eldest son, who is very close to Vance, paid tribute to beaten ‘finalists’ Doug Burgum and Marco Rubio
J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance wave to supporters after his winning his primary race in Ohio in 2022
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Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and one of the voices lobbying for Vance, said: ‘A great choice by Trump. Let’s win this thing.’
Insiders said the two other ‘finalists’ were Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota.
Burgum was heavily backed by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who wanted a more moderate, restraining voice close to Trump.
It was not enough. Even as a string of attack pieces surfaced in the media last week, betting markets declared Vance the clear frontrunner.
After the announcement, Don Jr. paid tribute to ‘incredible patriots’ Burgum and Rubio.
‘Biden is stuck with the worst VP in the history of our nation,’ he posted on X. ‘President Trump has one of the most dynamic, young leaders in the country in JD Vance.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, attacked Vance’s record and said he had been picked because Trump knew he would do what Mike Pence balked at: ‘Bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people.’