J. D. Vance: What You Should Know about Trump’s Running Mate
In a development that shocked most people expecting to see the Republican candidate's running mate, Donald Trump has selected Ohio senator, JD Vance, to run with him in the 2024 US elections.
The former president made this announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“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 JD Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote.
“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. 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….,” the statement concluded.
Background
Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio, on August 2, 1984, and had most of his childhood in Kentucky. He was also a member of the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 before attending the Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Vance later worked as a venture capitalist before running for office.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance got married to Usha Vance, and was nominated for vice president on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024.
A one time Trump Critic
Vance, who initially criticized Trump, authored the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" in 2016. The book details his experiences growing up in poverty in Appalachia and was later adapted into a film.
According to Politico, Vance has made negative comments about Trump and his supporters, comparing their enthusiasm to a heroin addiction and even questioning if Trump was comparable to "America’s Hitler."
Politico also reports that Vance has also called himself a “Never Trump guy” and labelled Trump “an idiot,” while revealing that he did not vote for Trump in the 2016 election.
Vance has transformed himself into a Trump loyalist in recent years, culminating in a coveted endorsement from the former president in the 2022 Ohio Senate race.
Vance’s candidacy starts with a significant visibility challenge, with a CNN/SSRS poll revealing that 56% of voters were unfamiliar with him, and an additional 15% had no opinion about him.
Senate Ambition
Vance is a freshman senator from Ohio who won his election in 2022 after receiving Trump’s endorsement out of a pack of better-polling rivals. He was also funded heavily by pro-Trump tech mogul Peter Thiel.
Vance has been a vocal on issues likeforeign aid in Congress, opposing legislation to send more aid from the US to Ukraine amid Russia’s war.
A day after Ohio voters approved a 2023 ballot measure to protect access to abortion, Vance urged Republicans to embrace a federal ban on the procedure to more effectively make the case to voters about the GOP’s position — breaking from Trump’s stance that the issue should be left up to states.
